Alternative Fuels Data Center: Colorado Airport Relies on Natural Gas

Science.gov (United States)

Fueling Stations Colorado Airport Relies on Natural Gas Fueling Stations to someone by E-mail Share Alternative Fuels Data Center: Colorado Airport Relies on Natural Gas Fueling Stations on Facebook Tweet about Alternative Fuels Data Center: Colorado Airport Relies on Natural Gas Fueling Stations on

Alternative Fuels Data Center: St. Louis Airport Relies on Biodiesel and

Science.gov (United States)

Natural Gas Vehicles St. Louis Airport Relies on Biodiesel and Natural Gas Vehicles to someone by E-mail Share Alternative Fuels Data Center: St. Louis Airport Relies on Biodiesel and Natural Gas Vehicles on Facebook Tweet about Alternative Fuels Data Center: St. Louis Airport Relies on Biodiesel and

Relying on the Information

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

TK YAYIN KURULU

2013-11-01

Full Text Available The editorial discusses internet filtering in the light of the optional internet packages for users, namely Family, Standard, Kids and Domestic, to be offered by the Information Technologies Board with the "Secure Internet Law" to take effect on August 22, 2011. Also sharing the hesitations about the objectivity of the application with the reader, editorial emphasizes an education system focused on breeding citizens who are not scared of relying on the information and who can, by themselves, decide whether information is harmful or not. References are made to the results of similar applications abroad while the press statement made by Turkish NGOs on the issue are included.

Sorbitan sesquioleate

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bennike, Niels Højsager; Johansen, Jeanne Duus

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: Sorbitan sesquioleate (SSO) has been added to fragrance mix I (FM I) as an emulsifier since the 1990s. Being a contact allergen itself, SSO has the potential to cause false-positive reactions to FM I. Recent results obtained with selected FM I-positive patients have shown that 5% have...... concomitant positive reactions to SSO. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the 5-year prevalence of contact allergy to SSO and evaluate the importance of SSO allergy when patch test results for FM I are interpreted. METHODS: This was a retrospective database study of consecutively patch tested eczema patients (n = 4......,637) from 2010 to 2014. All patients were tested with our baseline series including FM I and SSO 20% in pet. RESULTS: Sensitization to SSO was identified in 9 (0.2%) patients. The proportion of FM I-positive patients with concomitant positive reactions to SSO was 1.4%. CONCLUSIONS: SSO is a rare cause...

Maladies reliées aux loisirs aquatiques

Science.gov (United States)

Sanborn, Margaret; Takaro, Tim

2013-01-01

Résumé Objectif Passer en revue les facteurs de risque, la prise en charge et la prévention des maladies reliées aux loisirs aquatiques en pratique familiale. Sources des données Des articles originaux et de synthèse entre janvier 1998 et février 2012 ont été identifiés à l’aide de PubMed et des expressions de recherche en anglais water-related illness, recreational water illness et swimmer illness. Message principal Il y a un risque de 3 % à 8 % de maladies gastrointestinales (MGI) après la baignade. Les groupes à risque élevé de MGI sont les enfants de moins de 5 ans, surtout s’ils n’ont pas été vaccinés contre le rotavirus, les personnes âgées et les patients immunodéficients. Les enfants sont à plus grand risque parce qu’ils avalent plus d’eau quand ils nagent, restent dans l’eau plus longtemps et jouent dans l’eau peu profonde et le sable qui sont plus contaminés. Les adeptes des sports dans lesquels le contact avec l’eau est abondant comme le triathlon et le surf cerf-volant sont aussi à risque élevé et même ceux qui s’adonnent à des activités impliquant un contact partiel avec l’eau comme la navigation de plaisance et la pêche ont un risque de 40 % à 50 % fois plus grand de MGI par rapport à ceux qui ne pratiquent pas de sports aquatiques. Il y a lieu de faire une culture des selles quand on soupçonne une maladie reliée aux loisirs aquatiques et l’échelle clinique de la déshydratation est utile pour l’évaluation des besoins de traitement chez les enfants affectés. Conclusion Les maladies reliées aux loisirs aquatiques est la principale cause de MGI durant la saison des baignades. La reconnaissance que la baignade est une source importante de maladies peut aider à prévenir les cas récurrents et secondaires. On recommande fortement le vaccin contre le rotavirus chez les enfants qui se baignent souvent.

Testing with fragrance mix. Is the addition of sorbitan sesquioleate to the constituents useful?

Science.gov (United States)

Frosch, P J; Pilz, B; Burrows, D; Camarasa, J G; Lachapelle, J M; Lahti, A; Menné, T; Wilkinson, J D

1995-05-01

In a multicentre study, the value of adding sorbitan sesquioleate (SSO) to the constituents of the 8% fragrance mix (FM) was investigated. In 7 centres, 709 consecutive patients were tested with 2 types of FM from different sources, its 8 constituents with 1% SSO, its 8 constituents without SSO, and 20% SSO. 5 patients (0.71%) reacted to the emulsifier SSO itself, read as definitely allergic on day 3/4. 53 patients reacted to either one of the mixes with an allergic type of reaction. When tested with the constituents without SSO, 41.5% showed an allergic reaction versus 54.7% with SSO. If both types of reactions were considered (allergic and irritant) 38.3% of 73 patients showed a positive "breakdown" result without SSO, versus 54.8% with SSO. The differences were statistically significant. Reactivity to FM constituents was changed in a specific pattern by addition of SSO--irritant reactions increased, particularly for cinnamic alcohol, eugenol, geraniol, oak moss and hydroxycitronellal, whereas others showed only a slight change. Allergic reactions were also increased by SSO, but the rank order of the top 3 sensitizers (isoeugenol, oak moss and eugenol) did not change. Cinnamic alcohol was the only constituent with decreased reactivity after addition of SSO. A positive history of fragrance sensitivity (HFS) was clearly associated with a positive allergic reaction to either the mix or 1 of its constituents (51% versus 28.6% with a negative HFS). Irritant reactions were linked to a negative HFS in a high proportion (64.3%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Juxtaposed Color Halftoning Relying on Discrete Lines

OpenAIRE

Babaei, Vahid; Hersch, Roger

2013-01-01

Most halftoning techniques allow screen dots to overlap. They rely on the assumption that the inks are transparent, i.e. the inks do not scatter a significant portion of the light back to the air. However, many special effect inks such as metallic inks, iridescent inks or pigmented inks are not transparent. In order to create halftone images, halftone dots formed by such inks should be juxtaposed, i.e. printed side by side. We propose an efficient juxtaposed color halftoning technique for pla...

HIV Seropositivity And CD4 T-Lymphocyte Counts Among Infants ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The CD4 cell count was estimated using the Dynamal ® Quant Kit (Dynal Biotechn, ASA, Oslo, Norway). Results: The overall HIV prevalence rate in this study was 23.2%. The distribution of HIV prevalence among different age group revealed a high prevalence rate among the under fives (24.1% for males and 26.4% for ...

Increasing Uncertainty: The Dangers of Relying on Conventional Forces for Nuclear Deterrence

Science.gov (United States)

2016-03-14

72 | Air & Space Power Journal Increasing Uncertainty The Dangers of Relying on Conventional Forces for Nuclear Deterrence Jennifer Bradley To put...relationships and should serve as the cornerstone of US nuclear deterrence policy. Although Russia and China are not identified as adversaries of...exactly what has happened over the past year. The US decision to meet the needs of deterrence by relying less on nuclear weapons and instead devel- oping

Standardized observation of neighbourhood disorder: does it work in Canada?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zaidi Qamar

2010-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background There is a growing body of evidence that where you live is important to your health. Despite numerous previous studies investigating the relationship between neighbourhood deprivation (and structure and residents' health, the precise nature of this relationship remains unclear. Relatively few investigations have relied on direct observation of neighbourhoods, while those that have were developed primarily in US settings. Evaluation of the transferability of such tools to other contexts is an important first step before applying such instruments to the investigation of health and well-being. This study evaluated the performance of a systematic social observational (SSO tool (adapted from previous studies of American and British neighbourhoods in a Canadian urban context. Methods This was a mixed-methods study. Quantitative SSO ratings and qualitative descriptions of 176 block faces were obtained in six Toronto neighbourhoods (4 low-income, and 2 middle/high-income by trained raters. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted with the quantitative SSO ratings. Content analysis consisted of independent coding of qualitative data by three members of the research team to yield common themes and categories. Results Factor analysis identified three factors (physical decay/disorder, social accessibility, recreational opportunities, but only 'physical decay/disorder' reflected previous findings in the literature. Qualitative results (based on raters' fieldwork experiences revealed the tool's shortcomings in capturing important features of the neighbourhoods under study, and informed interpretation of the quantitative findings. Conclusions This study tested the performance of an SSO tool in a Canadian context, which is an important initial step before applying it to the study of health and disease. The tool demonstrated important shortcomings when applied to six diverse Toronto neighbourhoods. The study's analyses challenge previously

Reactivity to sorbitan sesquioleate affects reactivity to fragrance mix I.

Science.gov (United States)

Geier, Johannes; Schnuch, Axel; Lessmann, Holger; Uter, Wolfgang

2015-11-01

Fragrance mix I (FM I) and its single constituents contain 5% and 1% sorbitan sesquioleate (SSO), respectively. SSO is a rare sensitizer and a potential irritant. To determine whether the outcome of the FM I breakdown test is affected by positive patch test reactivity to SSO. A retrospective analysis of data from the Information Network of Departments of Dermatology, 1998-2013, was performed. The full FM I breakdown test including SSO was tested in 2952 patients. Of these, 154 (5.2%) had a positive patch test reaction to SSO 20% pet. and 2709 (91.8%) had a negative patch test reaction. Positive reactions to one or more of the single fragrances contained in the mix were significantly more common (82.5% versus 57.3%) in SSO-positive patients, who also had more multiple reactions than FM I-positive patients with negative SSO reactions (61.5% versus 21.3% patients with reactions to two or more fragrances). Our results indicate that reactivity to SSO markedly affects the outcome of patch testing with FM I and its single constituents. SSO must be an obligatory part of the full FM I breakdown test, and should ideally be included in the baseline series. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

47 CFR 15.717 - TVBDs that rely on spectrum sensing.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... Television Band Devices § 15.717 TVBDs that rely on spectrum sensing. (a) Parties may submit applications for... that are identical in electrical characteristics and antenna systems may be certified under the...

An atom trap relying on optical pumping

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bouyer, P.; Lemonde, P.; Ben Dahan, M.; Michaud, A.; Salomon, C.; Dalibard, J.

1994-01-01

We have investigated a new radiation pressure trap which relies on optical pumping and does not require any magnetic field. It employs six circularly polarized divergent beams and works on the red of a J g →J e = J g + 1 atomic transition with J g ≥1/2. We have demonstrated this trap with cesium atoms from a vapour cell using the 852 nm J g = 4→J e = 5 resonance transition. The trap contained up to 3.10 7 atoms in a cloud of 1/√e radius of 330 μm. (orig.)

Survey Tingkat Penggunaan Single Sign On pada 500 Situs Peringkat Teratas Alexa.com

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I Wayan Manik Suhartanta

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Advances in Internet technology has provided a new market for the growth of the service provider. New sites appear in large numbers every year. This gives a new problem for users of the service. Users are forced to memorize many username and password to access the service. Overcoming it is a new emerging technology, the technology called Single Sign On (SSO. SSO offers simple authentication process for users to access many services sites. But the level of confidence of users and service providers, in the use of SSO technology have not been investigated. In this research shows that the rate of utilizing the SSO technology of the top 500 sites on alexa.com by 31% (155 websites. And the level of utilization of the SSO more than one provider, by 41%. In studies it appears that the most used SSO services provider is google followed by facebook and twitter. (turnitin check 9% Keyword— Single Sign On (SSO, Computer Security, Authentication DOI: 10.24843/MITE.1601.07

Intuitive Face Judgments Rely on Holistic Eye Movement Pattern.

Science.gov (United States)

Mega, Laura F; Volz, Kirsten G

2017-01-01

Non-verbal signals such as facial expressions are of paramount importance for social encounters. Their perception predominantly occurs without conscious awareness and is effortlessly integrated into social interactions. In other words, face perception is intuitive. Contrary to classical intuition tasks, this work investigates intuitive processes in the realm of every-day type social judgments. Two differently instructed groups of participants judged the authenticity of emotional facial expressions, while their eye movements were recorded: an 'intuitive group,' instructed to rely on their "gut feeling" for the authenticity judgments, and a 'deliberative group,' instructed to make their judgments after careful analysis of the face. Pixel-wise statistical maps of the resulting eye movements revealed a differential viewing pattern, wherein the intuitive judgments relied on fewer, longer and more centrally located fixations. These markers have been associated with a global/holistic viewing strategy. The holistic pattern of intuitive face judgments is in line with evidence showing that intuition is related to processing the "gestalt" of an object, rather than focusing on details. Our work thereby provides further evidence that intuitive processes are characterized by holistic perception, in an understudied and real world domain of intuition research.

Juxtaposed color halftoning relying on discrete lines.

Science.gov (United States)

Babaei, Vahid; Hersch, Roger D

2013-02-01

Most halftoning techniques allow screen dots to overlap. They rely on the assumption that the inks are transparent, i.e., the inks do not scatter a significant portion of the light back to the air. However, many special effect inks, such as metallic inks, iridescent inks, or pigmented inks, are not transparent. In order to create halftone images, halftone dots formed by such inks should be juxtaposed, i.e., printed side by side. We propose an efficient juxtaposed color halftoning technique for placing any desired number of colorant layers side by side without overlapping. The method uses a monochrome library of screen elements made of discrete lines with rational thicknesses. Discrete line juxtaposed color halftoning is performed efficiently by multiple accesses to the screen element library.

Intuitive Face Judgments Rely on Holistic Eye Movement Pattern

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laura F. Mega

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Non-verbal signals such as facial expressions are of paramount importance for social encounters. Their perception predominantly occurs without conscious awareness and is effortlessly integrated into social interactions. In other words, face perception is intuitive. Contrary to classical intuition tasks, this work investigates intuitive processes in the realm of every-day type social judgments. Two differently instructed groups of participants judged the authenticity of emotional facial expressions, while their eye movements were recorded: an ‘intuitive group,’ instructed to rely on their “gut feeling” for the authenticity judgments, and a ‘deliberative group,’ instructed to make their judgments after careful analysis of the face. Pixel-wise statistical maps of the resulting eye movements revealed a differential viewing pattern, wherein the intuitive judgments relied on fewer, longer and more centrally located fixations. These markers have been associated with a global/holistic viewing strategy. The holistic pattern of intuitive face judgments is in line with evidence showing that intuition is related to processing the “gestalt” of an object, rather than focusing on details. Our work thereby provides further evidence that intuitive processes are characterized by holistic perception, in an understudied and real world domain of intuition research.

Fluid and structural dynamics calculations to determine core barrel loads during blowdown (EV 3,000)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krieg, R.; Schlechtendahl, E.G.

1977-01-01

To begin with, the main physical phenomena in connection with blowdown loads on the care barrel and the computer models used are briefly described. These models have also been used in the design of the HTR test care barrel. The fluid dynamics part of the calculations was carried out using the WHAMMOD and DAPSY codes; for the structural dynamics part, the STRUDL/Dynal code was employed. (orig./RW) [de

STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL-ANALYSIS OF THE SINGLE-STRAND ORIGIN OF REPLICATION FROM THE LACTOCOCCAL PLASMID PWVO1

NARCIS (Netherlands)

SEEGERS, JFML; ZHAO, AC; MEIJER, WJJ; KHAN, SA; VENEMA, G; BRON, S

1995-01-01

The single-strand origin (SSO) of the rolling-circle (RC), broad-host-range lactococcal plasmid pWVO1 was functionally characterized. The activity of this SSO in the conversion of single-stranded DNA to double-stranded DNA was tested both in vivo and in vitro. In addition, the effect of this SSO on

Shoreline type and subsurface oil persistence in the Exon Valdez spill zone of Prince William Sound, Alaska

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Page, D.S. [Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME (United States). Dept. of Chemistry; Boehm, P.D. [Exponent Inc., Maynard, MA (United States); Neff, J.M. [Neff and Associates, Duxbury, MA (United States)

2008-07-01

The grounding of the Exxon Valdez in Prince William Sound (PWS), Alaska in the spring of 1989 resulted in the release of 258,000 barrels of Alaska North Slope crude oil into the marine environment. Nearly 800 km of shoreline were oiled to some degree. There was an unprecedented oil spill cleanup effort following the spill. The shoreline surveys of the spill zone were synthesized in this paper in an effort to demonstrate the relationship between shoreline type and persistence of subsurface oil (SSO) residues. Shoreline surveys of surface and SSO indicate rapid initial oil loss with a decline from about 800 linear km of PWS shoreline in 1989 to about 10 km of oiled shoreline in 1992. The period of rapid loss was attributed to natural physical process, biodegradation and cleanup activities that removed accessible spill remnants from shorelines. This was followed by a slower natural average loss rate for less accessible surface and SSO deposits of about 22 per cent per year for the period 1992-2001. This paper emphasized that shoreline type plays a key role in determining SSO persistence. The geology of PWS is complex. Many of the shorelines where SSO persists have armouring layers composed of hard, dense clasts, such as the quartzite boulders and cobblestones that can protect SSO deposits. Eighteen years after the spill, persistent SSO deposits in PWS shorelines remain protected from tidal water-washing and biodegradation by a surface boulder/cobble armour and low sediment porosity. The SSO deposits are in a physical/chemical form and location where they do not pose a health risk to intertidal biological communities and animals. The surveys continue to substantiate that remaining SSO deposits in PWS continue to degrade and go away slowly. 37 refs., 5 tabs., 7 figs.

Hybrid Films Based on a Bridged Silsesquioxane Doped with Goethite and Montmorillonite Nanoparticles as Sorbents of Wastewater Contaminants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carolina V. Waiman

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The synthesis and characterization of silsesquioxane (SSO films with pendant dodecyl groups and doped with goethite (Gt or montmorillonite (MMT nanoparticles were carried out and the new materials tested as sorbents of diverse contaminants. The synthetic method used yielded SSO films with the inorganic substrates homogeneously distributed within the polymeric matrices. The new materials were characterized by SEM, FTIR, XRD, and DSC and tested to evaluate their capability for adsorbing metallic cations, organic dyes, and phosphate, frequent contaminants of industrial effluents. All films were found suitable for removing metallic cations. Results also showed that the SSO films undoped and doped with Gt are primarily apt for anionic compounds removal. Although the SSO films doped with MMT are capable of removing cationic contaminants from aqueous samples, the stiffness of the SSO matrix hinders MMT properties as an adsorbent. The possibility of dispersing nanoparticulate systems in the stable and chemically inert SSO matrices simplifies their application for contaminant removal, particularly because it makes the separation process of the absorbed pollutant from the treated medium easier.

Natural vibrations of a core banel of a PWR type reactor by elements of revolution shell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barcellos, C.S. de.

1980-01-01

Aim to estimate the behavior of the cove barrel of PWR type reactors, submitted to several load conditions, their dynamic characteristic, were determined. In order to obtain the natural modes and frequencies of the core barrel, the CYLDYFE comprete code based in the finite element method, was developed. The obtained results are compared with results obtained by other programs such as SAP, ASKA and STRUDL/DYNAL and by other analytical methods. (M.C.K.) [pt

Specificities and pH profiles of adenine and hypoxanthine-guanine-xanthine phosphoribosyltransferases (nucleotide synthases) of the thermoacidophile archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Michael Riis; Jensen, Kristine Steen; Rasmussen, Mads Skytte

2014-01-01

Two open reading frames in the genome of Sulfolobus solfataricus (SSO2341 and SSO2424) were cloned and expressed in E. coli. The protein products were purified and their enzymatic activity characterized. Although SSO2341 was annotated as a gene (gpT-1) encoding a 6-oxopurine...... phosphoribosyltransferase (PRTase), the protein product turned out to be a PRTase highly specific for adenine and we suggest that the reading frame should be renamed apT. The other reading frame SSO2424 (gpT-2) proved to be a true 6-oxopurine PRTase active with hypoxanthine, xanthine and guanine as substrates, and we.......5, while maximal activity with xanthine was observed at pH 7.5. We discuss likely reasons why SSO2341 in S. solfataricus and similar open reading frames in other Crenarchaeota could not be identified as genes encoding APRTase....

Konfuciānisma, daoisma un budisma mantojums Ķīnas tautas reliģijā

OpenAIRE

Dudaļeva, Jūlija

2014-01-01

Šī bakalaura darba nosaukums ir „Konfuciānisma, daoisma un budisma mantojums Ķīnas tautas reliģijā”. Nosaukums ķīniešu tautas reliģijas ir pētnieku izveidots, un tas neatbilst nevienam tradicionālam ķīniešu nosaukumam. Tautas reliģija ir brīvi strukturēts ticību, prakses, dievību, mītu un vērtību savienojums, kas ietver sevī elementus no senču dievkalpojumiem, mirušo kulta, dabas pielūgsmes, animisma, vietējām tradīcijām, daoisma, konfuciānisma un budisma. Darba mērķis ir izpētīt konfuciān...

12 CFR 221.117 - When bank in “good faith” has not relied on stock as collateral.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... bank in “good faith” has not relied on stock as collateral. (a) The Board has received questions... “indirectly secured” by stock as indicated by the phrase, “if the lender, in good faith, has not relied upon...

Studies of Sub-Synchronous Oscillations in Large-Scale Wind Farm Integrated System

Science.gov (United States)

Yue, Liu; Hang, Mend

2018-01-01

With the rapid development and construction of large-scale wind farms and grid-connected operation, the series compensation wind power AC transmission is gradually becoming the main way of power usage and improvement of wind power availability and grid stability, but the integration of wind farm will change the SSO (Sub-Synchronous oscillation) damping characteristics of synchronous generator system. Regarding the above SSO problem caused by integration of large-scale wind farms, this paper focusing on doubly fed induction generator (DFIG) based wind farms, aim to summarize the SSO mechanism in large-scale wind power integrated system with series compensation, which can be classified as three types: sub-synchronous control interaction (SSCI), sub-synchronous torsional interaction (SSTI), sub-synchronous resonance (SSR). Then, SSO modelling and analysis methods are categorized and compared by its applicable areas. Furthermore, this paper summarizes the suppression measures of actual SSO projects based on different control objectives. Finally, the research prospect on this field is explored.

Identification of a Single Strand Origin of Replication in the Integrative and Conjugative Element ICEBs1 of Bacillus subtilis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laurel D Wright

2015-10-01

Full Text Available We identified a functional single strand origin of replication (sso in the integrative and conjugative element ICEBs1 of Bacillus subtilis. Integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs, also known as conjugative transposons are DNA elements typically found integrated into a bacterial chromosome where they are transmitted to daughter cells by chromosomal replication and cell division. Under certain conditions, ICEs become activated and excise from the host chromosome and can transfer to neighboring cells via the element-encoded conjugation machinery. Activated ICEBs1 undergoes autonomous rolling circle replication that is needed for the maintenance of the excised element in growing and dividing cells. Rolling circle replication, used by many plasmids and phages, generates single-stranded DNA (ssDNA. In many cases, the presence of an sso enhances the conversion of the ssDNA to double-stranded DNA (dsDNA by enabling priming of synthesis of the second DNA strand. We initially identified sso1 in ICEBs1 based on sequence similarity to the sso of an RCR plasmid. Several functional assays confirmed Sso activity. Genetic analyses indicated that ICEBs1 uses sso1 and at least one other region for second strand DNA synthesis. We found that Sso activity was important for two key aspects of the ICEBs1 lifecycle: 1 maintenance of the plasmid form of ICEBs1 in cells after excision from the chromosome, and 2 stable acquisition of ICEBs1 following transfer to a new host. We identified sequences similar to known plasmid sso's in several other ICEs. Together, our results indicate that many other ICEs contain at least one single strand origin of replication, that these ICEs likely undergo autonomous replication, and that replication contributes to the stability and spread of these elements.

Functional structure of spontaneous sleep slow oscillation activity in humans.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Danilo Menicucci

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: During non-rapid eye movement (NREM sleep synchronous neural oscillations between neural silence (down state and neural activity (up state occur. Sleep Slow Oscillations (SSOs events are their EEG correlates. Each event has an origin site and propagates sweeping the scalp. While recent findings suggest a SSO key role in memory consolidation processes, the structure and the propagation of individual SSO events, as well as their modulation by sleep stages and cortical areas have not been well characterized so far. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We detected SSO events in EEG recordings and we defined and measured a set of features corresponding to both wave shapes and event propagations. We found that a typical SSO shape has a transition to down state, which is steeper than the following transition from down to up state. We show that during SWS SSOs are larger and more locally synchronized, but less likely to propagate across the cortex, compared to NREM stage 2. Also, the detection number of SSOs as well as their amplitudes and slopes, are greatest in the frontal regions. Although derived from a small sample, this characterization provides a preliminary reference about SSO activity in healthy subjects for 32-channel sleep recordings. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: This work gives a quantitative picture of spontaneous SSO activity during NREM sleep: we unveil how SSO features are modulated by sleep stage, site of origin and detection location of the waves. Our measures on SSOs shape indicate that, as in animal models, onsets of silent states are more synchronized than those of neural firing. The differences between sleep stages could be related to the reduction of arousal system activity and to the breakdown of functional connectivity. The frontal SSO prevalence could be related to a greater homeostatic need of the heteromodal association cortices.

Anemonefishes rely on visual and chemical cues to correctly identify conspecifics

Science.gov (United States)

Johnston, Nicole K.; Dixson, Danielle L.

2017-09-01

Organisms rely on sensory cues to interpret their environment and make important life-history decisions. Accurate recognition is of particular importance in diverse reef environments. Most evidence on the use of sensory cues focuses on those used in predator avoidance or habitat recognition, with little information on their role in conspecific recognition. Yet conspecific recognition is essential for life-history decisions including settlement, mate choice, and dominance interactions. Using a sensory manipulated tank and a two-chamber choice flume, anemonefish conspecific response was measured in the presence and absence of chemical and/or visual cues. Experiments were then repeated in the presence or absence of two heterospecific species to evaluate whether a heterospecific fish altered the conspecific response. Anemonefishes responded to both the visual and chemical cues of conspecifics, but relied on the combination of the two cues to recognize conspecifics inside the sensory manipulated tank. These results contrast previous studies focusing on predator detection where anemonefishes were found to compensate for the loss of one sensory cue (chemical) by utilizing a second cue (visual). This lack of sensory compensation may impact the ability of anemonefishes to acclimate to changing reef environments in the future.

The Long-Term Multicenter Observational Study of Dabigatran Treatment in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation (RELY-ABLE) Study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Connolly, S. J.; Wallentin, L.; Ezekowitz, M. D.

2013-01-01

. There is a need for longer-term follow-up of patients on dabigatran and for further data comparing the 2 dabigatran doses. Methods and Results Patients randomly assigned to dabigatran in RE-LY were eligible for the Long-term Multicenter Extension of Dabigatran Treatment in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation (RELY...

Diode-pumped laser performance of Tm:Sc2SiO5 crystal at 1971 nm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Bin; Wang Qing-Guo; Tang Hui-Li; Wu Feng; Luo Ping; Zhao Heng-Yu; Shi Jiao-Jiao; He Nuo-Tian; Li Na; Li Qiu; Guo Chao; Wang Zhan-Shan; Xu Jun; Zheng Li-He; Su Liang-Bi; Liu Jun-Fang; Liu Jie; Fan Xiu-Wei; Xu Xiao-Dong

2017-01-01

The 4-at.% Tm:Sc 2 SiO 5 (Tm:SSO) crystal is successfully obtained by the Czochralski method. The optical properties and thermal conductivity of the crystal are investigated. The broad continuous wave (CW) laser output of (100)-cut Tm:SSO with the dimensions of 3 mm× 3 mm× 3 mm under laser diode (LD)-pumping is realized. The full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the laser emitting reaches up to 21 nm. The laser threshold of Tm:SSO is measured to be 0.43 W. Efficient diode-pumped CW laser performance of Tm:SSO is demonstrated with a slope efficiency of 25.9% and maximum output power of 934 mW. (paper)

Un premier service mobile en Égypte qui relie les petits exploitants ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Un premier service mobile en Égypte qui relie les petits exploitants aux acheteurs. Un homme qui parle sur un téléphone mobile. Les petits exploitants agricoles dominent l'agriculture égyptienne, mais leur manque de connaissances en matière de commercialisation et de compétences techniques, ainsi qu'une mauvaise ...

Immobilization of α-Amylase from Anoxybacillus sp. SK3-4 on ReliZyme and Immobead Supports

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ummirul Mukminin Kahar

2016-09-01

Full Text Available α-Amylase from Anoxybacillus sp. SK3-4 (ASKA is a thermostable enzyme that produces a high level of maltose from starches. A truncated ASKA (TASKA variant with improved expression and purification efficiency was characterized in an earlier study. In this work, TASKA was purified and immobilized through covalent attachment on three epoxide (ReliZyme EP403/M, Immobead IB-150P, and Immobead IB-150A and an amino-epoxide (ReliZyme HFA403/M activated supports. Several parameters affecting immobilization were analyzed, including the pH, temperature, and quantity (mg of enzyme added per gram of support. The influence of the carrier surface properties, pore sizes, and lengths of spacer arms (functional groups on biocatalyst performances were studied. Free and immobilized TASKAs were stable at pH 6.0–9.0 and active at pH 8.0. The enzyme showed optimal activity and considerable stability at 60 °C. Immobilized TASKA retained 50% of its initial activity after 5–12 cycles of reuse. Upon degradation of starches and amylose, only immobilized TASKA on ReliZyme HFA403/M has comparable hydrolytic ability with the free enzyme. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of an immobilization study of an α-amylase from Anoxybacillus spp. and the first report of α-amylase immobilization using ReliZyme and Immobeads as supports.

A New Soft Computing Method for K-Harmonic Means Clustering.

Science.gov (United States)

Yeh, Wei-Chang; Jiang, Yunzhi; Chen, Yee-Fen; Chen, Zhe

2016-01-01

The K-harmonic means clustering algorithm (KHM) is a new clustering method used to group data such that the sum of the harmonic averages of the distances between each entity and all cluster centroids is minimized. Because it is less sensitive to initialization than K-means (KM), many researchers have recently been attracted to studying KHM. In this study, the proposed iSSO-KHM is based on an improved simplified swarm optimization (iSSO) and integrates a variable neighborhood search (VNS) for KHM clustering. As evidence of the utility of the proposed iSSO-KHM, we present extensive computational results on eight benchmark problems. From the computational results, the comparison appears to support the superiority of the proposed iSSO-KHM over previously developed algorithms for all experiments in the literature.

Space shuttle with common fuel tank for liquid rocket booster and main engines (supertanker space shuttle)

Science.gov (United States)

Thorpe, Douglas G.

1991-01-01

An operation and schedule enhancement is shown that replaces the four-body cluster (Space Shuttle Orbiter (SSO), external tank, and two solid rocket boosters) with a simpler two-body cluster (SSO and liquid rocket booster/external tank). At staging velocity, the booster unit (liquid-fueled booster engines and vehicle support structure) is jettisoned while the remaining SSO and supertank continues on to orbit. The simpler two-bodied cluster reduces the processing and stack time until SSO mate from 57 days (for the solid rocket booster) to 20 days (for the liquid rocket booster). The areas in which liquid booster systems are superior to solid rocket boosters are discussed. Alternative and future generation vehicles are reviewed to reveal greater performance and operations enhancements with more modifications to the current methods of propulsion design philosophy, e.g., combined cycle engines, and concentric propellant tanks.

Microbial spoilage and formation of biogenic amines in fresh and thawed modified atmosphere-packed salmon ( Salmo salar ) at 2 degrees C

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Emborg, Jette; Laursen, B.G.; Rathjen, T.

2002-01-01

series of storage trials with naturally contaminated fresh and thawed modified atmosphere-packed (MAP) salmon at 2 degrees C. Photobacterium phosphoreum dominated the spoilage microflora of fresh MAP salmon at more than 106 cfu g-1 and the activity of this specific spoilage organism (SSO) limited...... small amounts of biogenic amines in this product. The elimination of P. phosphoreum by freezing allowed this bacteria to be identified as the SSO in fresh MAP salmon.Significance and Impact of the Study: The identification of P. phosphoreum as the SSO in fresh MAP salmon facilitates the development...

76 FR 20392 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; Chicago Board Options Exchange, Incorporated; Notice of Filing and...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-04-12

..., SMH, SNDK, SPLS, SPXU, SPY, SSO, SYMC, TBT, T, TLT, TNA,TSM, TWM, TXN, TZA, UCO, USO, UWM, UYG, VALE..., S, SH, SLV, SPF, SPXU, SPY, SSO, TBT, TLT, TWM, TZA, UCO, USO, UWM, VXX, XLI, XLP. Transactions in...

Robust Sensing of Approaching Vehicles Relying on Acoustic Cues

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mitsunori Mizumachi

2014-05-01

Full Text Available The latest developments in automobile design have allowed them to be equipped with various sensing devices. Multiple sensors such as cameras and radar systems can be simultaneously used for active safety systems in order to overcome blind spots of individual sensors. This paper proposes a novel sensing technique for catching up and tracking an approaching vehicle relying on an acoustic cue. First, it is necessary to extract a robust spatial feature from noisy acoustical observations. In this paper, the spatio-temporal gradient method is employed for the feature extraction. Then, the spatial feature is filtered out through sequential state estimation. A particle filter is employed to cope with a highly non-linear problem. Feasibility of the proposed method has been confirmed with real acoustical observations, which are obtained by microphones outside a cruising vehicle.

Invitro genotoxicity, assessment of cytotoxicity and of Rely X luting cement on human lymphocyte cells before and after irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shetty, Shilpa S.; Hegde, Mithra N.; Shabin; Hegde, Nidarsh D.; Suchetha Kumari; Sanjeev, Ganesh

2013-01-01

In dentistry, a luting agent is a viscous material placed between tooth structure and a prosthesis that by polymerization firmly attach the prosthesis to the tooth structure. Luting agents contact a large area of dentin when used for crown cementation. There is little information on biocompatibility tests, especially on the effect of electron beam irradiation on cytotoxicity for luting resin cements. To determine the in vitro cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of Rely X luting cement on human lymphocyte cells before and after irradiation. Rely X luting cement was obtained commercially. Samples were prepared as per the ISO standard size of 25x2x2 mm using polytetrafluoroethylene teflon mould and divided into two groups - non irradiated and irradiated groups. The samples in irradiated category were exposed to 200 Gy of electron beam irradiation at Microtron Centre, Mangalore University, Mangalore, India. For hemolysis the samples were immersed in phosphate buffer saline and incubated at 370℃ for 24 hrs, 7 days and 14 days. 200 μl of 24 hr material extract was mixed with human peripheral blood lymphocyte tested for comet assay by single cell DNA comet assay. Hemolytic activity of non irradiated Rely X luting cement after 24 hrs, 7 days and 14 days was 54.78±1.48, 69.91±2.41 and 43.21±0.92 respectively whereas hemolytic activity of irradiated Rely X luting cement after 24 hrs, 7 days and 14 days was 91.8±8.29, 56.95±19.7 and 41.34±12.30. The irradiation of Rely X luting cement with 200 Gy dose of electron beam irradiation caused an increase in the frequency of DNA damage when compared to that of the non-irradiated group. Based on the experimental condition, it is concluded that incomplete polymerization of the dental luting cements has resulted in the elution of the resin components which are responsible for the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of Rely X luting cement on human lymphocyte cells. (author)

Predicting visibility of aircraft.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew Watson

Full Text Available Visual detection of aircraft by human observers is an important element of aviation safety. To assess and ensure safety, it would be useful to be able to be able to predict the visibility, to a human observer, of an aircraft of specified size, shape, distance, and coloration. Examples include assuring safe separation among aircraft and between aircraft and unmanned vehicles, design of airport control towers, and efforts to enhance or suppress the visibility of military and rescue vehicles. We have recently developed a simple metric of pattern visibility, the Spatial Standard Observer (SSO. In this report we examine whether the SSO can predict visibility of simulated aircraft images. We constructed a set of aircraft images from three-dimensional computer graphic models, and measured the luminance contrast threshold for each image from three human observers. The data were well predicted by the SSO. Finally, we show how to use the SSO to predict visibility range for aircraft of arbitrary size, shape, distance, and coloration.

Determining the Feasibility, Content Validity, and Internal Consistency of a Newly Developed Care Coordination Scale for People with Brain Injury

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brian P. Johnson

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Background: With the increasing complexity of care, people with disabilities and supportive significant others (SSO must often coordinate key aspects of their own care, but no validated scale currently exists to comprehensively characterize the activities done to manage and coordinate their care. Method: This study aimed to improve the feasibility, acceptability, and content validity of the Care and Service Coordination and Management (CASCAM scale and to test its internal consistency. Questionnaire items were administered to 23 individuals with acquired brain injury and 17 SSO. Results: Respondents confirmed content validity and that the instrument addresses important care coordination and management issues. The internal consistency of care coordination domains for medical/ rehabilitative and independent living needs for people with brain injury and their SSO ranged from α = .774 to .945. Conclusion: Care coordination activities by persons with disabilities, including brain injury, and their SSO are multifaceted but feasibly measurable and should be assessed to improve care.

The qacC Gene Has Recently Spread between Rolling Circle Plasmids of Staphylococcus, Indicative of a Novel Gene Transfer Mechanism

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wassenaar, Trudy M; Ussery, David W; Ingmer, Hanne

2016-01-01

and transferred to acceptor RC-plasmids without assistance of other genes, by means of its location in between the Double Strand replication Origin (DSO) and the Single-Strand replication Origin (SSO). The proposed mobilization model of this DSO-qacC-SSO element represents a novel mechanism of gene mobilization...

Cortical control of object-specific grasp relies on adjustments of both activity and effective connectivity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tia, Banty; Takemi, Mitsuaki; Kosugi, Akito

2017-01-01

The cortical mechanisms of grasping have been extensively studied in macaques and humans. Here, we investigated whether common marmosets could rely on similar mechanisms despite striking differences in manual dexterity. Two common marmosets were trained to grasp-and-pull three objects eliciting d...

Reliģijas, apmierinātības ar dzīvi un pašvērtējuma saistība.

OpenAIRE

Bērziņa, Annija

2015-01-01

Šī darba mērķis ir noskaidrot saistību starp reliģiju, apmierinātību ar dzīvi un pašvērtējumu. Apmierinātība ar dzīvi sevī ietver laimi, subjektīvo labklājību un pozitīvas emocijas. Šī darba ietvaros vairāk tiks apskatīta subjektīvā labklājība. Reliģija ir ticība kam mistiskam , kas sevī ietver reliģisku normu ievērošanu, rituālus, ticību un būšanu reliģiskā kopienā. Starp subjektīvo labklājību un reliģiju pastāv pozitīva korelācija. Pašvērtējums ir cilvēka subjektīvs viedoklis par...

A new hybrid optimization method inspired from swarm intelligence: Fuzzy adaptive swallow swarm optimization algorithm (FASSO

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mehdi Neshat

2015-11-01

Full Text Available In this article, the objective was to present effective and optimal strategies aimed at improving the Swallow Swarm Optimization (SSO method. The SSO is one of the best optimization methods based on swarm intelligence which is inspired by the intelligent behaviors of swallows. It has been able to offer a relatively strong method for solving optimization problems. However, despite its many advantages, the SSO suffers from two shortcomings. Firstly, particles movement speed is not controlled satisfactorily during the search due to the lack of an inertia weight. Secondly, the variables of the acceleration coefficient are not able to strike a balance between the local and the global searches because they are not sufficiently flexible in complex environments. Therefore, the SSO algorithm does not provide adequate results when it searches in functions such as the Step or Quadric function. Hence, the fuzzy adaptive Swallow Swarm Optimization (FASSO method was introduced to deal with these problems. Meanwhile, results enjoy high accuracy which are obtained by using an adaptive inertia weight and through combining two fuzzy logic systems to accurately calculate the acceleration coefficients. High speed of convergence, avoidance from falling into local extremum, and high level of error tolerance are the advantages of proposed method. The FASSO was compared with eleven of the best PSO methods and SSO in 18 benchmark functions. Finally, significant results were obtained.

Clinical impact and value of workstation single sign-on.

Science.gov (United States)

Gellert, George A; Crouch, John F; Gibson, Lynn A; Conklin, George S; Webster, S Luke; Gillean, John A

2017-05-01

CHRISTUS Health began implementation of computer workstation single sign-on (SSO) in 2015. SSO technology utilizes a badge reader placed at each workstation where clinicians swipe or "tap" their identification badges. To assess the impact of SSO implementation in reducing clinician time logging in to various clinical software programs, and in financial savings from migrating to a thin client that enabled replacement of traditional hard drive computer workstations. Following implementation of SSO, a total of 65,202 logins were sampled systematically during a 7day period among 2256 active clinical end users for time saved in 6 facilities when compared to pre-implementation. Dollar values were assigned to the time saved by 3 groups of clinical end users: physicians, nurses and ancillary service providers. The reduction of total clinician login time over the 7day period showed a net gain of 168.3h per week of clinician time - 28.1h (2.3 shifts) per facility per week. Annualized, 1461.2h of mixed physician and nursing time is liberated per facility per annum (121.8 shifts of 12h per year). The annual dollar cost savings of this reduction of time expended logging in is $92,146 per hospital per annum and $1,658,745 per annum in the first phase implementation of 18 hospitals. Computer hardware equipment savings due to desktop virtualization increases annual savings to $2,333,745. Qualitative value contributions to clinician satisfaction, reduction in staff turnover, facilitation of adoption of EHR applications, and other benefits of SSO are discussed. SSO had a positive impact on clinician efficiency and productivity in the 6 hospitals evaluated, and is an effective and cost-effective method to liberate clinician time from repetitive and time consuming logins to clinical software applications. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Modeling growth of specific spoilage organisms in tilapia ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Tilapia is an important aquatic fish, but severe spoilage of tilapia is most likely related to the global aquaculture. The spoilage is mostly caused by specific spoilage organisms (SSO). Therefore, it is very important to use microbial models to predict the growth of SSO in tilapia. This study firstly verified Pseudomonas and Vibrio ...

Compact intra-cavity pumped low-threshold passively Q-switched Ho:Sc2SiO5 laser by a LD-pumped Tm:YAP laser at room temperature

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Xiao-tao; Xie, Wen-qiang; Liu, Long; Li, Lin-jun

2017-08-01

A compact intra-cavity pumped low-threshold passively Q-switched (PQS) Ho:Sc2SiO5 (Ho:SSO) laser is reported for the first time. The Tm:YAlO3 (Tm:YAP) crystal and the Ho:SSO crystal are placed in the same laser cavity. A laser diode with a central wavelength of 793 nm is used to realize the output of the Ho:SSO laser. Both the continuous wave (CW) and PQS operation are investigated. A Cr2+:ZnSe is used as the saturable absorber in the PQS Ho:SSO laser. For the CW mode, the laser threshold is only 750 mW, which is 980 mW in the PQS mode. A maximum pulse energy of 699 µJ is primarily obtained, corresponding to the pulse width of 96 ns. The maximum repetition frequency is 1.46 kHz. The maximum pulse peak power can be calculated to be 7.28 kW. The beam quality factor M 2 is calculated to be 1.4 with the maximum output power.

Evaluation of the performance of a Ho: Sc2SiO5 laser pumped by a Tm:YAP laser

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Xiao-tao; Xie, Wen-qiang; Li, Wen-hui; Li, Xue-min

2016-05-01

A continuous-wave 0.5 % Ho3+-doped Ho:Sc2SiO5 (Ho:SSO) laser output at 2112 nm pumped by a Tm:YAP laser is reported. The Ho:SSO bulk crystal was grown by the Czochralski technique. A maximum laser power of 3.72 W was obtained with a slope efficiency of 32.9%, when the transmittance of output mirror was 30%. In this experiment, two output mirrors with different transmittance were also researched. The output spectra of Ho:SSO laser with different output mirrors are also given. The M 2 factor is found to be 1.29. In addition, the absorption and emission spectra are given in this paper.

Evaluation of the performance of a Ho: Sc2SiO5 laser pumped by a Tm:YAP laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Xiao-tao; Xie, Wen-qiang; Li, Wen-hui; Li, Xue-min

2016-01-01

A continuous-wave 0.5 % Ho 3+ -doped Ho:Sc 2 SiO 5 (Ho:SSO) laser output at 2112 nm pumped by a Tm:YAP laser is reported. The Ho:SSO bulk crystal was grown by the Czochralski technique. A maximum laser power of 3.72 W was obtained with a slope efficiency of 32.9%, when the transmittance of output mirror was 30%. In this experiment, two output mirrors with different transmittance were also researched. The output spectra of Ho:SSO laser with different output mirrors are also given. The M 2 factor is found to be 1.29. In addition, the absorption and emission spectra are given in this paper. (paper)

SeDiCi: An Authentication Service Taking Advantage of Zero-Knowledge Proofs

Science.gov (United States)

Grzonkowski, Sławomir

Transmission of users' profiles over insecure communication means is a crucial task of today's ecommerce applications. In addition, the users have to createmany profiles and remember many credentials. Thus they retype the same information over and over again. Each time the users type their credentials, they expose them to phishing or eavesdropping attempts.These problems could be solved by using Single Sign-on (SSO). The idea of SSO is that the users keep using the same set of credentials when visiting different websites. For web-aplications, OpenID1. is the most prominent solution that partially impelemtns SSO. However, OpenID is prone to phishing attempts and it does not preserve users' privacy [1].

The Splicing Efficiency of Activating HRAS Mutations Can Determine Costello Syndrome Phenotype and Frequency in Cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hartung, Anne-Mette; Swensen, Jeff; Uriz, Inaki E

2016-01-01

by the efficiency of exon 2 inclusion resulting from the different HRAS mutations. Finally, we show that a splice switching oligonucleotide (SSO) that blocks access to the critical ESE causes exon 2 skipping and halts proliferation of cancer cells. This unravels a potential for development of new anti......-cancer therapies based on SSO-mediated HRAS exon 2 skipping....

Tensions of network security and collaborative work practice: understanding a single sign-on deployment in a regional hospital.

Science.gov (United States)

Heckle, Rosa R; Lutters, Wayne G

2011-08-01

Healthcare providers and their IT staff, working in an effort to balance appropriate accessibility with stricter security mandates, are considering the use of a single network sign-on approach for authentication and password management. Single sign-on (SSO) promises to improve usability of authentication for multiple-system users, increase compliance, and help curb system maintenance costs. However, complexities are introduced when SSO is placed within a collaborative environment. These complexities include unanticipated workflow implications that introduce greater security vulnerability for the individual user. OBJECTIVES AND METHODOLOGY: In this work, we examine the challenges of implementing a single sign-on authentication technology in a hospital environment. The aim of the study was to document the factors that affected SSO adoption within the context of use. The ultimate goal is to better inform the design of usable authentication systems within collaborative healthcare work sites. The primary data collection techniques used are ethnographically informed - observation, contextual interviews, and document review. The study included a cross-section of individuals from various departments and varying rolls. These participants were a mix of both clinical and administrative staff, as well as the Information Technology group. The field work revealed fundamental mis-matches between the technology and routine work practices that will significantly impact its effective adoption. While single sign-on was effective in the administrative offices, SSO was not a good fit for collaborative areas. The collaborative needs of the clinical staff unearthed tensions in its implementation. An analysis of the findings revealed that the workflow, activities, and physical environment of the clinical areas create increased security vulnerabilities for the individual user. The clinical users were cognizant of these vulnerabilities and this created resistance to the implementation due

Software Simulates Sight: Flat Panel Mura Detection

Science.gov (United States)

2008-01-01

In the increasingly sophisticated world of high-definition flat screen monitors and television screens, image clarity and the elimination of distortion are paramount concerns. As the devices that reproduce images become more and more sophisticated, so do the technologies that verify their accuracy. By simulating the manner in which a human eye perceives and interprets a visual stimulus, NASA scientists have found ways to automatically and accurately test new monitors and displays. The Spatial Standard Observer (SSO) software metric, developed by Dr. Andrew B. Watson at Ames Research Center, measures visibility and defects in screens, displays, and interfaces. In the design of such a software tool, a central challenge is determining which aspects of visual function to include while accuracy and generality are important, relative simplicity of the software module is also a key virtue. Based on data collected in ModelFest, a large cooperative multi-lab project hosted by the Optical Society of America, the SSO simulates a simplified model of human spatial vision, operating on a pair of images that are viewed at a specific viewing distance with pixels having a known relation to luminance. The SSO measures the visibility of foveal spatial patterns, or the discriminability of two patterns, by incorporating only a few essential components of vision. These components include local contrast transformation, a contrast sensitivity function, local masking, and local pooling. By this construction, the SSO provides output in units of "just noticeable differences" (JND) a unit of measure based on the assumed smallest difference of sensory input detectable by a human being. Herein is the truly amazing ability of the SSO, while conventional methods can manipulate images, the SSO models human perception. This set of equations actually defines a mathematical way of working with an image that accurately reflects the way in which the human eye and mind behold a stimulus. The SSO is

Development of an Architecture of Sun-Synchronous Orbital Slots to Minimize Conjunctions

Science.gov (United States)

Weeden, B.

Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) satellites serve many important functions, primarily in the areas of Earth reconnaissance and weather. The orbital parameters of altitude, inclination and right ascension which allow for the unique utility of Sun-sync orbit limit these satellites to a very specific region of space. The popularity of these satellite missions combined with the use of similar engineering solutions has resulted in the majority of current Sun-sync satellites within this region having very similar inclinations and altitudes while also spaced around the Equator in right ascension, creating the opportunity for conjunctions at the polar crossing points and a serious safety issue that could endanger long-term sustainability of SSO. This paper outlines the development of a new architecture of SSO zoning to create specific slots separating SSO satellites in altitude, right ascension and time at all orbital intersections while minimizing the limitations on utility. A methodical approach for the development of the system is presented along with the work-to-date and a software tool for calculating repeating ground track orbits. The slot system is intended to allow for continued utility of and safe operation within SSO while greatly decreasing the chance of collisions at orbital intersections. This architecture is put forward as one possible element of a new Space Traffic Management (STM) system with the overall goal of maintaining the safe and continued used of space by all actors.

Human children rely more on social information than chimpanzees do.

Science.gov (United States)

van Leeuwen, Edwin J C; Call, Josep; Haun, Daniel B M

2014-11-01

Human societies are characterized by more cultural diversity than chimpanzee communities. However, it is currently unclear what mechanism might be driving this difference. Because reliance on social information is a pivotal characteristic of culture, we investigated individual and social information reliance in children and chimpanzees. We repeatedly presented subjects with a reward-retrieval task on which they had collected conflicting individual and social information of equal accuracy in counterbalanced order. While both species relied mostly on their individual information, children but not chimpanzees searched for the reward at the socially demonstrated location more than at a random location. Moreover, only children used social information adaptively when individual knowledge on the location of the reward had not yet been obtained. Social information usage determines information transmission and in conjunction with mechanisms that create cultural variants, such as innovation, it facilitates diversity. Our results may help explain why humans are more culturally diversified than chimpanzees. © 2014 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Logical Characterisation of Concept Transformations from Human into Machine relying on Predicate Logic

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Badie, Farshad

2016-01-01

Providing more human-like concept learning in machines has always been one of the most significant goals of machine learning paradigms and of human-machine interaction techniques. This article attempts to provide a logical specification of conceptual mappings from humans’ minds into machines......’ knowledge bases. I will focus on the representation of the mappings (transformations) relying on First-Order Predicate Logic. Additionally, the structure of concepts in the common ground between humans and machines will be analysed. It seems quite necessary to pay attention to the philosophy...

77 FR 70117 - Purchase of Certain Debt Securities by Business and Industrial Development Companies Relying on...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-11-23

... 3235-AL02 Purchase of Certain Debt Securities by Business and Industrial Development Companies Relying... securities; (B) is engaged or proposes to engage in the business of issuing face-amount certificates of the... business of issuing redeemable securities, the operations of which are subject to regulation by the State...

76 FR 69545 - Conditions and Requirements for Relying on Component Part Testing or Certification, or Another...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-11-08

... the final rule to incorporate the concept that a finished product certifier may rely upon finished... revised, on our own initiative, the final rule to incorporate the concept that a finished product... Vol. 76 Tuesday, No. 216 November 8, 2011 Part IV Consumer Product Safety Commission 16 CFR Parts...

Episodic Memory Retrieval Functionally Relies on Very Rapid Reactivation of Sensory Information.

Science.gov (United States)

Waldhauser, Gerd T; Braun, Verena; Hanslmayr, Simon

2016-01-06

Episodic memory retrieval is assumed to rely on the rapid reactivation of sensory information that was present during encoding, a process termed "ecphory." We investigated the functional relevance of this scarcely understood process in two experiments in human participants. We presented stimuli to the left or right of fixation at encoding, followed by an episodic memory test with centrally presented retrieval cues. This allowed us to track the reactivation of lateralized sensory memory traces during retrieval. Successful episodic retrieval led to a very early (∼100-200 ms) reactivation of lateralized alpha/beta (10-25 Hz) electroencephalographic (EEG) power decreases in the visual cortex contralateral to the visual field at encoding. Applying rhythmic transcranial magnetic stimulation to interfere with early retrieval processing in the visual cortex led to decreased episodic memory performance specifically for items encoded in the visual field contralateral to the site of stimulation. These results demonstrate, for the first time, that episodic memory functionally relies on very rapid reactivation of sensory information. Remembering personal experiences requires a "mental time travel" to revisit sensory information perceived in the past. This process is typically described as a controlled, relatively slow process. However, by using electroencephalography to measure neural activity with a high time resolution, we show that such episodic retrieval entails a very rapid reactivation of sensory brain areas. Using transcranial magnetic stimulation to alter brain function during retrieval revealed that this early sensory reactivation is causally relevant for conscious remembering. These results give first neural evidence for a functional, preconscious component of episodic remembering. This provides new insight into the nature of human memory and may help in the understanding of psychiatric conditions that involve the automatic intrusion of unwanted memories. Copyright

Alterations of the transcriptome of Sulfolobus acidocaldarius by exoribonuclease aCPSF2.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Birgit Märtens

Full Text Available Recent studies identified a 5´ to 3´ exoribonuclease termed Sso-RNase J in the crenarchaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus (Sso, which has been reclassified to the aCPSF2 (archaeal cleavage and polyadenylation specificity factor 2 group of β-CASP proteins. In this study, the Sso-aCPSF2 orthologue of Sulfolobus acidocaldarius (Saci-aCPSF2 was functionally characterized. Like Sso-aCPSF2, Saci-aCPSF2 degrades RNA with 5´ to 3´ directionality in vitro. To address the biological significance of Saci-aCPSF2, a deletion mutant was constructed, and the influence of Saci-aCPSF2 on the transcriptome profile was assessed employing high throughput RNA sequencing. This analysis revealed 560 genes with differential transcript abundance, suggesting a considerable role of this enzyme in RNA metabolism. In addition, bioinformatic analyses revealed several transcripts that are preferentially degraded at the 5´ end. This was exemplarily verified for two transcripts by Northern-blot analyses, showing for the first time that aCPSF2 proteins play a role in 5' to 3' directional mRNA decay in the crenarchaeal clade of Archaea.

Возможности сфинктеросохраняющего лечения больных местно-распространенным первично-неоперабельным раком прямой кишки

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu. A. Barsukov

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to compare results of sphincter-sparing operations (SSO and abdominoperineal resections (APR in patients  undergoing combined treatment for unresectable locally-advanced rectal cancer.Methods. During September 2007 – January 2011 59 patients were enrolled. Original treatment scheme (RF patent № 2414936 was developed including radiotherapy 40 Gy in 4 Gy fractions, capecitabine 650 mg/m2 bid per os days 1-22, oxaliplatin 50 mg/m2 iv days 3, 10, 17, local hyperthermia on days 8, 12, 15, 17, 2 applications of metronidazole 10 g/m2 per rectum in a polymeric composition. Surgery was carried out following 6–8 weeks. SSO were carried out in 36 patients, APR in 23 patients. Study endpoints included 2-year OS and DFS, local recurrence and distant metastases rate, postoperative complications rate.Results. No significant differences in survival were observed: 2-year OS was 93.2 and 85.6 % (log- rank test p = 0.157 for SSO and APR groups accordingly, 2-year DFS was 88 and 71.9 % (log-rank test p = 0.064. Four (11.1 % patients in SSO group and 4 (17.4 % patients in APR group (р = 0.5511 developed local recurrences, 4 (11.1 % and 7 (30.4 % (р = 0.1293 developed distant metastases. Postoperative complications rate was 27.8 % (n = 10 and 39.1 % (n = 9 (р = 0.5181 in SSO and APR groups accordingly.Conclusions. Sphincter-sparting surgery is justified for unresectable locally advanced rectal cancer when technically feasible.  

Regulated Medicare Advantage And Marketplace Individual Health Insurance Markets Rely On Insurer Competition.

Science.gov (United States)

Frank, Richard G; McGuire, Thomas G

2017-09-01

Two important individual health insurance markets-Medicare Advantage and the Marketplaces-are tightly regulated but rely on competition among insurers to supply and price health insurance products. Many local health insurance markets have little competition, which increases prices to consumers. Furthermore, both markets are highly subsidized in ways that can exacerbate the impact of market power-that is, the ability to set price above cost-on health insurance prices. Policy makers need to foster robust competition in both sectors and avoid designing subsidies that make the market-power problem worse. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

System for calibration of instruments of x-ray measurement (CIR-X) applying the PGCS; Sistema para calibracion de instrumentos de medicion de rayos X (CIR-X) aplicando el PGCS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gaytan G, E.; Rivero G, T.; Cruz E, P.; Tovar M, V.M.; Vergara M, F.J. [ININ, 52750 La Marquesa, Estado de Mexico (Mexico)]. e-mail: egg@nuclear.inin.mx

2007-07-01

The Department of Metrology of Ionizing Radiations of the ININ carries out calibration of instruments for X-ray measurement that determine the operation parameters in X-ray diagnostic machines of the health and private sectors. To facilitate this task, the Department of Automation and Instrumentation developed a system for acquisition and signals processing coming from a reference voltage divider with traceability at NIST that is connected directly to the X-rays tube. The system is integrated by the X-ray unit, the X-ray measurement equipment Dynalizer IIIU of RADCAL, a data acquisition card, a personal computer and the acquisition software and signals processing. (Author)

System for calibration of instruments of x-ray measurement (CIR-X) applying the PGCS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaytan G, E.; Rivero G, T.; Cruz E, P.; Tovar M, V.M.; Vergara M, F.J.

2007-01-01

The Department of Metrology of Ionizing Radiations of the ININ carries out calibration of instruments for X-ray measurement that determine the operation parameters in X-ray diagnostic machines of the health and private sectors. To facilitate this task, the Department of Automation and Instrumentation developed a system for acquisition and signals processing coming from a reference voltage divider with traceability at NIST that is connected directly to the X-rays tube. The system is integrated by the X-ray unit, the X-ray measurement equipment Dynalizer IIIU of RADCAL, a data acquisition card, a personal computer and the acquisition software and signals processing. (Author)

Disagreement between splenic switch-off and myocardial T1-mapping after caffeine intake.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuijpers, Dirkjan; van Dijk, Randy; van Assen, Marly; Kaandorp, Theodorus A M; van Dijkman, Paul R M; Vliegenthart, Rozemarijn; van der Harst, Pim; Oudkerk, Matthijs

2018-04-01

Caffeine is an adenosine receptor antagonist and a possible cause of inadequate stress perfusion. Splenic switch-off (SSO) and splenic rest-stress T1-mapping have been proposed as indicators of stress adequacy during perfusion cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). We compared myocardial rest-stress T1-mapping with SSO and splenic rest-stress T1-mapping in patients with and without recent coffee intake. We analyzed 344 consecutive patients suspected of myocardial ischemia with adenosine perfusion CMR. All 146 normal CMR studies with a normal T1-rest of the myocardium, used as standard of reference, were included and divided in two groups. 22 patients accidentally ingested coffee < 4 h before CMR, compared to control group of 124 patients without self-reported coffee intake. Two independent readers graded SSO visually. T1-reactivity (ΔT1) was defined as percentual difference in T1-rest and T1-stress. Follow-up data were extracted from electronic patients records. In patients with recent coffee intake SSO was identified in 96%, which showed no significant difference with SSO in controls (94%, p = 0.835), however event rates were significantly different (13.6 and 0.8%, respectively (p < 0.001), median FU 17 months). Myocardial ΔT1 in the coffee group (- 5.2%) was significantly lower compared to control (+ 4.0%, p < 0.001), in contrast to the splenic ΔT1 (- 3.7 and - 4.0%, p = 0.789). The splenic T1-mapping results failed to predict false negative results. SSO and splenic rest-stress T1-mapping are not reliable indicators of stress adequacy in patients with recent coffee intake. Therefore, the dark spleen sign does not indicate adequate myocardial stress in patients with recent caffeine intake. Myocardial rest-stress T1-mapping is an excellent indicator of stress adequacy during adenosine perfusion CMR.

78 FR 29392 - Embedded Digital Devices in Safety-Related Systems, Systems Important to Safety, and Items Relied...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-05-20

... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [NRC-2013-0098] Embedded Digital Devices in Safety-Related Systems, Systems Important to Safety, and Items Relied on for Safety AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION... (NRC) is issuing for public comment Draft Regulatory Issue Summary (RIS) 2013-XX, ``Embedded Digital...

Einfluss von Flüssigkeitskontamination auf die Verbundfestigkeit von Wurzelkanalsealern (Adseal und RelyX Unicem)

OpenAIRE

Höfer, Margarita

2010-01-01

Ziel dieser Arbeit war es, eine Aussage über die Verbundfestigkeit des epoxidharz-basierten Wurzelkanalsealers Adseal und des selbstadhäsiven methacrylatbasierten Befestigungszements RelyX Unicem zum Wurzelkanaldentin in Abhängigkeit vom Verbleib der Spülflüssigkeit im Wurzelkanal zu treffen. Die Kontamination des Wurzelkanals wurde mittels dreier verschiedener Spüllösungen durchgeführt. Zu diesem Zweck wurden Scherfestigkeitsmessungen sowie lichtmikroskopische Untersuchungen der Sealer-Sprea...

Phonological memory in sign language relies on the visuomotor neural system outside the left hemisphere language network.

Science.gov (United States)

Kanazawa, Yuji; Nakamura, Kimihiro; Ishii, Toru; Aso, Toshihiko; Yamazaki, Hiroshi; Omori, Koichi

2017-01-01

Sign language is an essential medium for everyday social interaction for deaf people and plays a critical role in verbal learning. In particular, language development in those people should heavily rely on the verbal short-term memory (STM) via sign language. Most previous studies compared neural activations during signed language processing in deaf signers and those during spoken language processing in hearing speakers. For sign language users, it thus remains unclear how visuospatial inputs are converted into the verbal STM operating in the left-hemisphere language network. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, the present study investigated neural activation while bilinguals of spoken and signed language were engaged in a sequence memory span task. On each trial, participants viewed a nonsense syllable sequence presented either as written letters or as fingerspelling (4-7 syllables in length) and then held the syllable sequence for 12 s. Behavioral analysis revealed that participants relied on phonological memory while holding verbal information regardless of the type of input modality. At the neural level, this maintenance stage broadly activated the left-hemisphere language network, including the inferior frontal gyrus, supplementary motor area, superior temporal gyrus and inferior parietal lobule, for both letter and fingerspelling conditions. Interestingly, while most participants reported that they relied on phonological memory during maintenance, direct comparisons between letters and fingers revealed strikingly different patterns of neural activation during the same period. Namely, the effortful maintenance of fingerspelling inputs relative to letter inputs activated the left superior parietal lobule and dorsal premotor area, i.e., brain regions known to play a role in visuomotor analysis of hand/arm movements. These findings suggest that the dorsal visuomotor neural system subserves verbal learning via sign language by relaying gestural inputs to

Processes affecting δ34S and δ18O values of dissolved sulfate in alluvium along the Canadian River, central Oklahoma, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Tuttle, Michele L.W.; Breit, George N.; Cozzarelli, Isabelle M.

2009-01-01

The δ34S and δ18O values for dissolved sulfate in groundwater are commonly used in aquifer studies to identify sulfate reservoirs and describe biogeochemical processes. The utility of these data, however, often is compromised by mixing of sulfate sources within reservoirs and isotope fractionation during sulfur redox cycling. Our study shows that, after all potential sulfate sources are identified and isotopically characterized, the δ34SSO4 and δ18OSO4 values differentiate processes such as sulfate-source mixing, sulfide oxidation, barite dissolution, and organosulfur decomposition. During bacterial reduction of sulfate, the values reflect kinetic sulfur isotope fractionation and exchange of oxygen isotopes between sulfate and water. Detailed analysis of the chemistry (Cl and SO4 concentrations) and isotopic composition (δ2HH2Oand δ18OH2O) of groundwater in an alluvial aquifer in Central Oklahoma, USA allowed the identification of five distinct end members that supply water to the aquifer (regional groundwater flowing into the study area, river water, leachate from a closed landfill that operated within the site, rain, and surface runoff). The δ34SSO4 and δ18OSO4 values in each end member differentiated three sources of sulfate: sulfate dissolved from Early to Late Permian rocks within the drainage basin (δ34SSO4 = 8–12‰ and δ18OSO4 = 10‰), iron sulfides oxidized by molecular oxygen during low water-table levels (δ34SSO4 = − 16‰ and δ18OSO4 = 10‰), and organosulfur compounds (predominately ester sulfates) from decomposition of vegetation on the surface and from landfill trash buried in the alluvium (δ34SSO4 = 8‰ and δ18OSO4 = 6‰). During bacterial reduction of these sulfate sources, similar isotope fractionation processes are recorded in the parallel trends of increasing δ34SSO4 and δ18OSO4 values. When extensive reduction occurs, the kinetic sulfur isotope fractionation (estimated by εH2S–SO4 = − 23�

Caution required when relying on a colleague's advice; a comparison between professional advice and evidence from the literature

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schaafsma, Frederieke; Verbeek, Jos; Hulshof, Carel; van Dijk, Frank

2005-01-01

Background: Occupational Physicians rely especially on advice from colleagues when answering their information demands. On the other hand, Evidence-based Medicine (EBM) promotes the use of up-to-date research literature instead of experts. To find out if there was a difference between expert-based

The 'French Fry' VAC technique: hybridisation of traditional open wound NPWT with closed incision NPWT.

Science.gov (United States)

Chopra, Karan; Tadisina, Kashyap K; Singh, Devinder P

2016-04-01

Surgical site occurrences (SSO), specifically surgical site infections represent a significant burden in the US health care system. It has been hypothesised that postoperative dressing can help drive down SSO. We describe the successful use of a novel technique combining both closed incision and open negative pressure wound therapy in the management of a high-risk wound associated with lymphoedema of obesity. © 2014 The Authors. International Wound Journal © 2014 Medicalhelplines.com Inc and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Genus-specific protein binding to the large clusters of DNA repeats (short regularly spaced repeats) present in Sulfolobus genomes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Peng, Xu; Brügger, Kim; Shen, Biao

2003-01-01

terminally modified and corresponds to SSO454, an open reading frame of previously unassigned function. It binds specifically to DNA fragments carrying double and single repeat sequences, binding on one side of the repeat structure, and producing an opening of the opposite side of the DNA structure. It also...... recognizes both main families of repeat sequences in S. solfataricus. The recombinant protein, expressed in Escherichia coli, showed the same binding properties to the SRSR repeat as the native one. The SSO454 protein exhibits a tripartite internal repeat structure which yields a good sequence match...... with a helix-turn-helix DNA-binding motif. Although this putative motif is shared by other archaeal proteins, orthologs of SSO454 were only detected in species within the Sulfolobus genus and in the closely related Acidianus genus. We infer that the genus-specific protein induces an opening of the structure...

ENDEMIC INFECTION OF STRANDED SOUTHERN SEA OTTERS (ENHYDRA LUTRIS NEREIS) WITH NOVEL PARVOVIRUS, POLYOMAVIRUS, AND ADENOVIRUS.

Science.gov (United States)

Siqueira, Juliana D; Ng, Terry F; Miller, Melissa; Li, Linlin; Deng, Xutao; Dodd, Erin; Batac, Francesca; Delwart, Eric

2017-07-01

Over the past century, the southern sea otter (SSO; Enhydra lutris nereis) population has been slowly recovering from near extinction due to overharvest. The SSO is a threatened subspecies under federal law and a fully protected species under California law, US. Through a multiagency collaborative program, stranded animals are rehabilitated and released, while deceased animals are necropsied and tissues are cryopreserved to facilitate scientific study. Here, we processed archival tissues to enrich particle-associated viral nucleic acids, which we randomly amplified and deeply sequenced to identify viral genomes through sequence similarities. Anelloviruses and endogenous retroviral sequences made up over 50% of observed viral sequences. Polyomavirus, parvovirus, and adenovirus sequences made up most of the remaining reads. We characterized and phylogenetically analyzed the full genome of sea otter polyomavirus 1 and the complete coding sequence of sea otter parvovirus 1 and found that the closest known viruses infect primates and domestic pigs ( Sus scrofa domesticus), respectively. We tested archived tissues from 69 stranded SSO necropsied over 14 yr (2000-13) by PCR. Polyomavirus, parvovirus, and adenovirus infections were detected in 51, 61, and 29% of examined animals, respectively, with no significant increase in frequency over time, suggesting endemic infection. We found that 80% of tested SSO were infected with at least one of the three DNA viruses, whose tissue distribution we determined in 261 tissue samples. Parvovirus DNA was most frequently detected in mesenteric lymph node, polyomavirus DNA in spleen, and adenovirus DNA in multiple tissues (spleen, retropharyngeal and mesenteric lymph node, lung, and liver). This study describes the virome in tissues of a threatened species and shows that stranded SSO are frequently infected with multiple viruses, warranting future research to investigate associations between these infections and observed lesions.

Anemia predicts thromboembolic events, bleeding complications and mortality in patients with atrial fibrillation : insights from the RE-LY trial

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Westenbrink, B. D.; Alings, M.; Connolly, S. J.; Eikelboom, J.; Ezekowitz, M. D.; Oldgren, J.; Yang, S.; Pongue, J.; Yusuf, S.; Wallentin, L.; van Gilst, W. H.

BackgroundAnemia may predispose to thromboembolic events or bleeding in anticoagulated patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). ObjectivesTo investigate whether anemia is associated with thromboembolic events and bleeding in patients with AF. Patients and methodsWe retrospectively analyzed the RE-LY

Intravitreal Injection of Splice-switching Oligonucleotides to Manipulate Splicing in Retinal Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xavier Gérard

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Leber congenital amaurosis is a severe hereditary retinal dystrophy responsible for neonatal blindness. The most common disease-causing mutation (c.2991+1655A>G; 10–15% creates a strong splice donor site that leads to insertion of a cryptic exon encoding a premature stop codon. Recently, we reported that splice-switching oligonucleotides (SSO allow skipping of the mutant cryptic exon and the restoration of ciliation in fibroblasts of affected patients, supporting the feasibility of a SSO-mediated exon skipping strategy to correct the aberrant splicing. Here, we present data in the wild-type mouse, which demonstrate that intravitreal administration of 2’-OMePS-SSO allows selective alteration of Cep290 splicing in retinal cells, including photoreceptors as shown by successful alteration of Abca4 splicing using the same approach. We show that both SSOs and Cep290 skipped mRNA were detectable for at least 1 month and that intravitreal administration of oligonucleotides did not provoke any serious adverse event. These data suggest that intravitreal injections of SSO should be considered to bypass protein truncation resulting from the c.2991+1655A>G mutation as well as other truncating mutations in genes which like CEP290 or ABCA4 have a mRNA size that exceed cargo capacities of US Food and Drug Administration (FDA-approved adeno-associated virus (AAV-vectors, thus hampering gene augmentation therapy.

Pneumococcal Competence Coordination Relies on a Cell-Contact Sensing Mechanism.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marc Prudhomme

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Bacteria have evolved various inducible genetic programs to face many types of stress that challenge their growth and survival. Competence is one such program. It enables genetic transformation, a major horizontal gene transfer process. Competence development in liquid cultures of Streptococcus pneumoniae is synchronized within the whole cell population. This collective behavior is known to depend on an exported signaling Competence Stimulating Peptide (CSP, whose action generates a positive feedback loop. However, it is unclear how this CSP-dependent population switch is coordinated. By monitoring spontaneous competence development in real time during growth of four distinct pneumococcal lineages, we have found that competence shift in the population relies on a self-activated cell fraction that arises via a growth time-dependent mechanism. We demonstrate that CSP remains bound to cells during this event, and conclude that the rate of competence development corresponds to the propagation of competence by contact between activated and quiescent cells. We validated this two-step cell-contact sensing mechanism by measuring competence development during co-cultivation of strains with altered capacity to produce or respond to CSP. Finally, we found that the membrane protein ComD retains the CSP, limiting its free diffusion in the medium. We propose that competence initiator cells originate stochastically in response to stress, to form a distinct subpopulation that then transmits the CSP by cell-cell contact.

[Scope of the latest RE-LY substudies: clinical implications].

Science.gov (United States)

Ruiz-Giménez Arrieta, N

2012-03-01

The approval of the use of dabiatran in stroke prevention in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrilation (NVAF) is based on the results of the RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-Term Anticoagulation Therapy) trial, one of the largest studies to date in this entity. In this trial, dabigatran showed similar safety and efficacy to warfarin in primary and secondary prevention of stroke in patients with AF. At a dose of 150 mg twice daily, dabigatran was superior to warfarin in the prevention of stroke or systemic embolism and the 110 mg dose twice daily showed similar efficacy and greater safety, given the lower incidence of hemorrhage. These results were consistently found in the various subanalyses, with some slight differences of interest for clinical practice. The ideal candidates for dabiatran are patients with NVAF suitable for cardioversion, who require short periods of anticoagulation, patients in remote geographical areas with difficulty in achieving good anticoagulation control or good control with anti-vitamin K treatment due to IRN fluctuations, and patients with a low risk of hemorrhage and a CHADS score ≥ 3 and/or with prior stroke, whenever there are no contraindications. The choice of dabigatran dose should be evaluated according to the patient's individual characteristics (caution must be exercised when prescribing this drug in the elderly and in renal insufficiency) and embolic and/or hemorrhagic risk. Studies of the long-term safety of this drug, pharmacoeconomic analyses in Spain and post-commercialization pharmacovigilance data are required before the definitive uses of this drug can be established. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

Diffuse radiation models and monthly-average, daily, diffuse data for a wide latitude range

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gopinathan, K.K.; Soler, A.

1995-01-01

Several years of measured data on global and diffuse radiation and sunshine duration for 40 widely spread locations in the latitude range 36° S to 60° N are used to develop and test models for estimating monthly-mean, daily, diffuse radiation on horizontal surfaces. Applicability of the clearness-index (K) and sunshine fraction (SSO) models for diffuse estimation and the effect of combining several variables into a single multilinear equation are tested. Correlations connecting the diffuse to global fraction (HdH) with K and SSO predict Hd values more accurately than their separate use. Among clearness-index and sunshine-fraction models, SSO models are found to have better accuracy if correlations are developed for wide latitude ranges. By including a term for declinations in the correlation, the accuracy of the estimated data can be marginally improved. The addition of latitude to the equation does not help to improve the accuracy further. (author)

Revolution when logging into CERN: the new Single Sign-On Portal

CERN Multimedia

CERN Single Sign-On Team & the Computer Security Team

2013-01-01

Up to now, access to non-public CERN web applications was protected by the CERN Single Sign-On portal (CERN SSO) and required your CERN password. However, given that many people have also a computing account at their home institute, or with Facebook or Google, wouldn’t it make sense to allow those accounts to be used for logging into CERN as well?    We believe it does, and therefore the CERN SSO Team has extended the SSO portal’s functionality and laid the foundations for using so-called “Public Accounts” and “Federated Accounts” as well as for Second-Factor Authentication. The changes will be deployed on 21 January. You can have a sneak preview here. It is now up to you, web administrators and website owners, to take advantage of these nice new features, and enable your clients to use their external accounts: Public Accounts Some web applications are quasi-public and only require an e-mail address as an internal handle (like ...

Structure of the heterotrimeric PCNA from Sulfolobus solfataricus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, Gareth J.; Johnson, Kenneth; Rudolf, Jana; McMahon, Stephen A.; Carter, Lester; Oke, Muse; Liu, Huanting; Taylor, Garry L.; White, Malcolm F.; Naismith, James H.

2006-01-01

The structure of the heterotrimeric PCNA complex from S. sulfataricus is reported to 2.3 Å. PCNA is a ring-shaped protein that encircles DNA, providing a platform for the association of a wide variety of DNA-processing enzymes that utilize the PCNA sliding clamp to maintain proximity to their DNA substrates. PCNA is a homotrimer in eukaryotes, but a heterotrimer in crenarchaea such as Sulfolobus solfataricus. The three proteins are SsoPCNA1 (249 residues), SsoPCNA2 (245 residues) and SsoPCNA3 (259 residues). The heterotrimeric protein crystallizes in space group P2 1 , with unit-cell parameters a = 44.8, b = 78.8, c = 125.6 Å, β = 100.5°. The crystal structure of this heterotrimeric PCNA molecule has been solved using molecular replacement. The resulting structure to 2.3 Å sheds light on the differential stabilities of the interactions observed between the three subunits and the specificity of individual subunits for partner proteins.

Sabiedriskās attiecības jauno reliģisko kustību praksē. Baznīcas "Jaunā paaudze" gadījuma analīze

OpenAIRE

Maļuha, Sandra

2008-01-01

Izstrādātā bakalaura darba nosaukums ir „Sabiedriskās attiecības jauno reliģisko kustību praksē: baznīcas „Jaunā paaudze” gadījuma analīze”. Darbā aplūkotā pētnieciskā problēma ir jauns, līdz šim maz pētīts fenomens - sabiedrisko attiecību mērķu realizācija jauno reliģisko kustību darbībā. Izvēlētais pētniecības objekts ir baznīca „Jaunā paaudze”, kura, pēc Tieslietu ministrijas Reliģisko lietu pārvaldes sniegtajiem datiem, šobrīd ir lielākā jaunā reliģiskā kustība Latvijā. Teorētiskā pama...

16 CFR 1115.5 - Reporting of failures to comply with a voluntary consumer product safety standard relied upon by...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... voluntary consumer product safety standard relied upon by the Commission under section 9 of the CPSA. 1115.5 Section 1115.5 Commercial Practices CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY ACT REGULATIONS SUBSTANTIAL PRODUCT HAZARD REPORTS General Interpretation § 1115.5 Reporting of failures to comply...

Comparison of deterministically predicted genetic gains with those realised in a South African Eucalyptus grandis breeding program

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Verryn, SD

2009-06-01

Full Text Available breeding endeavours, are essential for modelling and predicting the economic impact of further genetic improvement. Materials and Methods The “South African Population” (plantation origin) breeding lines with the F1 generation (‘SSO’-series), F2 (‘A... trials SSO1 and SSO4, as representatives of the improvement. It was assumed that selective thinning of the ‘male families’ took place at 50%. (Male families are trees which contribute towards the pollen cloud. These families may be selectively thinned...

The prevalent deep intronic c. 639+919 G>A GLA mutation causes pseudoexon activation and Fabry disease by abolishing the binding of hnRNPA1 and hnRNP A2/B1 to a splicing silencer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Palhais, Bruno; Dembic, Maja; Sabaratnam, Rugivan

2016-01-01

Fabry disease is an X-linked recessive inborn disorder of the glycosphingolipid metabolism, caused by total or partial deficiency of the lysosomal α-galactosidase A enzyme due to mutations in the GLA gene. The prevalent c.639+919 G>A mutation in GLA leads to pathogenic insertion of a 57bp pseudoe...... oligonucleotide (SSO) mediated blocking of the pseudoexon 3'ss and 5'ss effectively restores normal GLA splicing. This indicates that SSO based splicing correction may be a therapeutic alternative in the treatment of Fabry disease....

da Vinci decoded: does da Vinci stereopsis rely on disparity?

Science.gov (United States)

Tsirlin, Inna; Wilcox, Laurie M; Allison, Robert S

2012-11-01

In conventional stereopsis, the depth between two objects is computed based on the retinal disparity in the position of matching points in the two eyes. When an object is occluded by another object in the scene, so that it is visible only in one eye, its retinal disparity cannot be computed. Nakayama and Shimojo (1990) found that a precept of quantitative depth between the two objects could still be established for such stimuli and proposed that this precept is based on the constraints imposed by occlusion geometry. They named this and other occlusion-based depth phenomena "da Vinci stereopsis." Subsequent research found quantitative depth based on occlusion geometry in several other classes of stimuli grouped under the term da Vinci stereopsis. However, Nakayama and Shimojo's findings were later brought into question by Gillam, Cook, and Blackburn (2003), who suggested that quantitative depth in their stimuli was perceived based on conventional disparity. In order to understand whether da Vinci stereopsis relies on one type of mechanism or whether its function is stimulus dependent we examine the nature and source of depth in the class of stimuli used by Nakayama and Shimojo (1990). We use three different psychophysical and computational methods to show that the most likely source for depth in these stimuli is occlusion geometry. Based on these experiments and previous data we discuss the potential mechanisms responsible for processing depth from monocular features in da Vinci stereopsis.

Impact of the bottom drag coefficient on saltwater intrusion in the extremely shallow estuary

Science.gov (United States)

Lyu, Hanghang; Zhu, Jianrong

2018-02-01

The interactions between the extremely shallow, funnel-shaped topography and dynamic processes in the North Branch (NB) of the Changjiang Estuary produce a particular type of saltwater intrusion, saltwater spillover (SSO), from the NB into the South Branch (SB). This dominant type of saltwater intrusion threatens the winter water supplies of reservoirs located in the estuary. Simulated SSO was weaker than actual SSO in previous studies, and this problem has not been solved until now. The improved ECOM-si model with the advection scheme HSIMT-TVD was applied in this study. Logarithmic and Chézy-Manning formulas of the bottom drag coefficient (BDC) were established in the model to investigate the associated effect on saltwater intrusion in the NB. Modeled data and data collected at eight measurement stations located in the NB from February 19 to March 1, 2017, were compared, and three skill assessment indicators, the correlation coefficient (CC), root-mean-square error (RMSE), and skill score (SS), of water velocity and salinity were used to quantitatively validate the model. The results indicated that the water velocities modeled using the Chézy-Manning formula of BDC were slightly more accurate than those based on the logarithmic BDC formula, but the salinities produced by the latter formula were more accurate than those of the former. The results showed that the BDC increases when water depth decreases during ebb tide, and the results based on the Chézy-Manning formula were smaller than those based on the logarithmic formula. Additionally, the landward net water flux in the upper reaches of the NB during spring tide increases based on the Chézy-Manning formula, and saltwater intrusion in the NB was enhanced, especially in the upper reaches of the NB. At a transect in the upper reaches of the NB, the net transect water flux (NTWF) is upstream in spring tide and downstream in neap tide, and the values produced by the Chézy-Manning formula are much larger than

δ34S and δ18O of dissolved sulfate as biotic tracer of biogeochemical influences on arsenic mobilization in groundwater in the Hetao Plain, Inner Mongolia, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, M D; Wang, Y X; Li, P; Deng, Y M; Xie, X J

2014-12-01

Environmental isotopology of sulfur and oxygen of dissolved sulfate in groundwater was conducted in the Hetao Plain, northwestern China, aiming to better understand the processes controlling arsenic mobilization in arsenic-rich aqueous systems. A total of 22 groundwater samples were collected from domestic wells in the Hetao Plain. Arsenic concentrations ranged from 11.0 to 388 μg/L. The δ(34)S-SO4 and δ(18)O-SO4 values of dissolved sulfate covered a range from +1.48 to +22.4‰ and +8.17‰ to +14.8‰ in groundwater, respectively. The wide range of δ(34)S-SO4 values reflected either an input of different sources of sulfate, such as gypsum dissolution and fertilizer application, or a modification from biogeochemical process of bacterial sulfate reduction. The positive correlation between δ(34)S-SO4 and arsenic concentrations suggested that bacteria mediated processes played an important role in the mobilization of arsenic. The δ(18)O-SO4 values correlated non-linearly with δ(34)S-SO4, but within a relatively narrow range (+8.17 to +14.8‰), implying that complexities inherent in the sulfate-oxygen (O-SO4(2-)) origins, for instance, water-derived oxygen (O-H2O), molecular oxygen (O-O2) and isotope exchanging with dissolved oxides, are accounted for oxygen isotope composition of dissolved sulfate in groundwater in the Hetao Plain.

Unparalleled sample treatment throughput for proteomics workflows relying on ultrasonic energy.

Science.gov (United States)

Jorge, Susana; Araújo, J E; Pimentel-Santos, F M; Branco, Jaime C; Santos, Hugo M; Lodeiro, Carlos; Capelo, J L

2018-02-01

We report on the new microplate horn ultrasonic device as a powerful tool to speed proteomics workflows with unparalleled throughput. 96 complex proteomes were digested at the same time in 4min. Variables such as ultrasonication time, ultrasonication amplitude, and protein to enzyme ratio were optimized. The "classic" method relying on overnight protein digestion (12h) and the sonoreactor-based method were also employed for comparative purposes. We found the protein digestion efficiency homogeneously distributed in the entire microplate horn surface using the following conditions: 4min sonication time and 25% amplitude. Using this approach, patients with lymphoma and myeloma were classified using principal component analysis and a 2D gel-mass spectrometry based approach. Furthermore, we demonstrate the excellent performance by using MALDI-mass spectrometry based profiling as a fast way to classify patients with rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and ankylosing spondylitis. Finally, the speed and simplicity of this method were demonstrated by clustering 90 patients with knee osteoarthritis disease (30), with a prosthesis (30, control group) and healthy individuals (30) with no history of joint disease. Overall, the new approach allows profiling a disease in just one week while allows to match the minimalism rules as outlined by Halls. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Zeme, vara un reliģija viduslaikos un jaunajas laikos Baltijas jūras reģionā] / Marija Golubeva

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Golubeva, Marija, 1973-

2011-01-01

Arvustus: Zeme, vara un reliģija viduslaikos un jaunajas laikos Baltijas jūras reģionā / Hrsg. von Andris Šnē. Acta Universitatis Latviensis ; 725. (Riga: Verlag Latvijas Universitātes Akadēmiskais apgāds, 2009)

YouTube osuuskaupan markkinointiviestinnässä

OpenAIRE

Lindevall, Tytti

2014-01-01

Tämän opinnäytetyön tavoitteena on luoda toimeksiantaja Suur-Seudun Osuuskauppa SSO:lle suunnitelma YouTuben hyödyntämiseksi markkinointiviestinnässään. Työn avulla on tarkoitus löytää keino, miten SSO voisi hyödyntää YouTubea markkinointiviestinnässään ja mitä asioita tulisi huomioida omaa kanavaa perustettaessa. Tarkoituksena on tuottaa raportti mahdollisista käyttötarkoituksista sekä ohjeistus oman kanavan perustamiseen ja hallinnointiin liittyvistä asioista. Työn alkupuolella taustoite...

Stochastic singular optics

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Roux, FS

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Roux Presented at the International Conference on Correlation Optics 2013 Chernivtsi, Ukraine 18-20 September 2013 CSIR National Laser Centre, Pretoria, South Africa – p. 1/24 Contents ⊲ Defining Stochastic Singular Optics (SSO) ⊲ Tools of Stochastic... of vortices: topological charge ±1 (higher order are unstable). Positive and negative vortex densities np(x, y, z) and nn(x, y, z) ⊲ Vortex density: V = np + nn ⊲ Topological charge density: T = np − nn – p. 4/24 Subfields of SSO ⊲ Homogeneous, normally...

Analysis of the recent Plio-Quaternary deformation and the correlation with the focal mechanisms of the significant earthquakes in the Bokoya, Ras Tarf (Eastern Rif

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

El Mahsani A.

2018-01-01

surface. A reduced number of faults shows a generall direction NNE-SSO to N-S through the Quaternary formations in the NO of Al Hoceima city, the direction NO does not show a good correlation with the directions of surface rupture, as well as with the deducted directions from focals mechanisms. This study drives us to propose that faults of direction NNE-SSO to NE-SO, represent the major directions of the faults in the Al Hoceima region, which represents the main cause of the seismic activity in the region.

Subsynchronous Oscillation Problem Research in the UHVDC System of a Regional Power Grid in China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qu Ying

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Along with the grid structure being more and more complex and the rapid development of the HVDC system, studying the subsynchronous oscillation (SSO problem on HVDC system has more engineering practice significance. The paper studies subsynchronous oscillations problem of generators near the ±800kV UHVDC converter station, and analyzes the subsynchronous oscillation possibilities through PSCAD/EMTDC simulation. At last, though the researched UHVDC thermal plants have none SSO risk but it needs other measures to make the relevant generators return on normal operation.

Optimisation of the biocatalytic resolution of styrene oxide by whole cells of Rhodotorula glutinis

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Yeates, CA

2007-01-01

Full Text Available capillary column (chiral analysis) using 2 as carrier gas. Racemic SO and (R)-1-phenyl-1,2-ethane diol were obtained m Aldrich, while (S)-SO was obtained from Fluka. Chiral GC analysis of he isolated products after biohydrolysis were done as follows: SO..., yields: % yield of (S)-SO, yieldp: % yield R)-1-phenyl-1,2-ethane diol. To determine the optimal temperature for the highest enan- ivity, time-course reactions were performed at various s with an initial epoxide concentration of 30 mM. he results...

Cochlear implant users rely on tempo rather than on pitch information during perception of musical emotion.

Science.gov (United States)

Caldwell, Meredith; Rankin, Summer K; Jiradejvong, Patpong; Carver, Courtney; Limb, Charles J

2015-09-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which cochlear implant (CI) users rely on tempo and mode in perception of musical emotion when compared with normal hearing (NH) individuals. A test battery of novel four-bar melodies was created and adapted to four permutations with alterations of tonality (major vs. minor) and tempo (presto vs. largo), resulting in non-ambiguous (major key/fast tempo and minor key/slow tempo) and ambiguous (major key/slow tempo, and minor key/fast tempo) musical stimuli. Both CI and NH participants listened to each clip and provided emotional ratings on a Likert scale of +5 (happy) to -5 (sad). A three-way ANOVA demonstrated an overall effect for tempo in both groups, and an overall effect for mode in the NH group. The CI group rated stimuli of the same tempo similarly, regardless of changes in mode, whereas the NH group did not. A subgroup analysis indicated the same effects in both musician and non-musician CI users and NH listeners. The results suggest that the CI group relied more heavily on tempo than mode in making musical emotion decisions. The subgroup analysis further suggests that level of musical training did not significantly impact this finding. CI users weigh temporal cues more heavily than pitch cues in inferring musical emotion. These findings highlight the significant disadvantage of CI users in comparison with NH listeners for music perception, particularly during recognition of musical emotion, a critically important feature of music.

Culture-dependent and culture-independent assessment of spoilage community growth on VP lamb meat from packaging to past end of shelf-life.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaur, Mandeep; Shang, Hongshan; Tamplin, Mark; Ross, Tom; Bowman, John P

2017-12-01

Packaging and storage temperature are important factors that influence the shelf-life of vacuum packed (VP) meat. In this study the shelf-life of VP bone-in lamb hind shanks stored at 8 °C and -1.2 °C was determined in parallel to analyses of starting and eventual spoilage bacterial communities via Illumina MiSeq based 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. The mean total viable counts (TVC) and lactic acid bacterial viable counts (LAB) were observed to increase to log 7.5 CFU/cm 2 and 7 CFU/cm 2 after 6 and 42 days at 8 °C and -1.2 °C and stayed stable until shelf-life termination after 13 and 124 days, respectively. The sequence data showed initial communities were patchily distributed and were mainly derived from skin microbiome taxa likely prevalent within the abattoir. A broad diversity of VP meat associated specific spoilage organisms (SSO) were comparatively abundant in this initial population. Overtime meat spoilage communities developed a distinctive and stable microbiome. At -1.2 °C SSO included mainly Carnobacterium, Yersinia and Clostridium spp. while at 8 °C SSO expanded to include Hafnia, Lactococcus, Providencia spp. Growth curves inferred from the sequence data after taking into account rRNA copy number suggested that SSO growth rates were consistent with overall growth rates determined from TVC and LAB data and are predictable. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of ocular hypertension secondary to tamponade with light versus heavy silicone oil: A systematic review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vito Romano

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Aim: The intraocular silicone oil (SO tamponades used in the treatment of retinal detachment (RD have been associated with a difference ocular hypertension (OH rate. To clarify, if this complication was associated to use of standard SO (SSO versus heavy SO (HSO, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of comparative study between two kind of SO (standard or light vs. heavy for the treatment of RD and macular hole, without restriction to study design. Materials and Methods: The methodological quality of two randomized clinical trials (RCTs were evaluated using the criteria given in the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Intervention, while three non-RCTs were assessed with the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology checklists. We calculated Mantel-Haenszel risk ratio (RR with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs. The primary outcome was the rate of patients with OH treated with SSO compared to HSO. Results: There were a higher number of rates of OH in HSO compared to SSO. This difference was statistically significant with the fixed effect model (Mantel-Haenszel RR; 1.55; 95% CI, 1.06-2.28; P = 0.02 while there was not significative difference with the random effect model (Mantel-Haenszel RR; 1.51; 95% CI, 0.98-2.33; P = 0.06. Conclusion: We noted a trend that points out a higher OH rate in HSO group compared to SSO, but this finding, due to the small size and variable design of studies, needs to be confirmed in well-designed and large size RCTs.

Defining the buffering process by a triprotic acid without relying on Stewart-electroneutrality considerations.

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Minhtri K; Kao, Liyo; Kurtz, Ira

2011-08-17

Upon the addition of protons to an aqueous solution, a component of the H+ load will be bound i.e. buffered. In an aqueous solution containing a triprotic acid, H+ can be bound to three different states of the acid as well as to OH- ions that are derived from the auto-ionization of H2O. In quantifying the buffering process of a triprotic acid, one must define the partitioning of H+ among the three states of the acid and also the OH- ions in solution in order to predict the equilibrium pH value. However, previous quantitative approaches that model triprotic acid titration behaviour and used to predict the equilibrium pH rely on the mathematical convenience of electroneutrality/charge balance considerations. This fact has caused confusion in the literature, and has led to the assumption that charge balance/electroneutrality is a causal factor in modulating proton buffering (Stewart formulation). However, as we have previously shown, although charge balance can be used mathematically as a convenient tool in deriving various formulae, electroneutrality per se is not a fundamental physicochemical parameter that is mechanistically involved in the underlying buffering and proton transfer reactions. The lack of distinction between a mathematical tool, and a fundamental physicochemical parameter is in part a reason for the current debate regarding the Stewart formulation of acid-base analysis. We therefore posed the following question: Is it possible to generate an equation that defines and predicts the buffering of a triprotic acid that is based only on H+ partitioning without incorporating electroneutrality in the derivation? Towards this goal, we derived our new equation utilizing: 1) partitioning of H+ buffering; 2) conservation of mass; and 3) acid-base equilibria. In validating this model, we compared the predicted equilibrium pH with the measured pH of an aqueous solution consisting of Na2HPO4 to which HCl was added. The measured pH values were in excellent agreement

Defining the buffering process by a triprotic acid without relying on stewart-electroneutrality considerations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kao Liyo

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Upon the addition of protons to an aqueous solution, a component of the H+ load will be bound i.e. buffered. In an aqueous solution containing a triprotic acid, H+ can be bound to three different states of the acid as well as to OH- ions that are derived from the auto-ionization of H2O. In quantifying the buffering process of a triprotic acid, one must define the partitioning of H+ among the three states of the acid and also the OH- ions in solution in order to predict the equilibrium pH value. However, previous quantitative approaches that model triprotic acid titration behaviour and used to predict the equilibrium pH rely on the mathematical convenience of electroneutrality/charge balance considerations. This fact has caused confusion in the literature, and has led to the assumption that charge balance/electroneutrality is a causal factor in modulating proton buffering (Stewart formulation. However, as we have previously shown, although charge balance can be used mathematically as a convenient tool in deriving various formulae, electroneutrality per se is not a fundamental physicochemical parameter that is mechanistically involved in the underlying buffering and proton transfer reactions. The lack of distinction between a mathematical tool, and a fundamental physicochemical parameter is in part a reason for the current debate regarding the Stewart formulation of acid-base analysis. We therefore posed the following question: Is it possible to generate an equation that defines and predicts the buffering of a triprotic acid that is based only on H+ partitioning without incorporating electroneutrality in the derivation? Towards this goal, we derived our new equation utilizing: 1 partitioning of H+ buffering; 2 conservation of mass; and 3 acid-base equilibria. In validating this model, we compared the predicted equilibrium pH with the measured pH of an aqueous solution consisting of Na2HPO4 to which HCl was added. The measured pH values

Defining the buffering process by a triprotic acid without relying on stewart-electroneutrality considerations

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-01

Upon the addition of protons to an aqueous solution, a component of the H+ load will be bound i.e. buffered. In an aqueous solution containing a triprotic acid, H+ can be bound to three different states of the acid as well as to OH- ions that are derived from the auto-ionization of H2O. In quantifying the buffering process of a triprotic acid, one must define the partitioning of H+ among the three states of the acid and also the OH- ions in solution in order to predict the equilibrium pH value. However, previous quantitative approaches that model triprotic acid titration behaviour and used to predict the equilibrium pH rely on the mathematical convenience of electroneutrality/charge balance considerations. This fact has caused confusion in the literature, and has led to the assumption that charge balance/electroneutrality is a causal factor in modulating proton buffering (Stewart formulation). However, as we have previously shown, although charge balance can be used mathematically as a convenient tool in deriving various formulae, electroneutrality per se is not a fundamental physicochemical parameter that is mechanistically involved in the underlying buffering and proton transfer reactions. The lack of distinction between a mathematical tool, and a fundamental physicochemical parameter is in part a reason for the current debate regarding the Stewart formulation of acid-base analysis. We therefore posed the following question: Is it possible to generate an equation that defines and predicts the buffering of a triprotic acid that is based only on H+ partitioning without incorporating electroneutrality in the derivation? Towards this goal, we derived our new equation utilizing: 1) partitioning of H+ buffering; 2) conservation of mass; and 3) acid-base equilibria. In validating this model, we compared the predicted equilibrium pH with the measured pH of an aqueous solution consisting of Na2HPO4 to which HCl was added. The measured pH values were in excellent agreement

The Low Pitch of High-Frequency Complex Tones Relies on Temporal Fine Structure Information

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Santurette, Sébastien; Dau, Torsten

2010-01-01

High-frequency complex tones containing only unresolved harmonic components with a frequency spacing Δf usually evoke a low pitch equal to Δf. However, for inharmonic components, the low pitch is often found to deviate slightly from Δf. Whether this pitch shift relies exclusively on temporal fine...... structure (TFS) cues has been a matter of debate. It is also controversial up to which frequency TFS information remains available, and to what extent envelope cues become dominant as frequency increases. Using a pitch-matching paradigm, this study investigated whether the pitch of transposed tones.......5]. All stimuli were presented at 50 dB SPL in broadband pink-noise (13.5 dB/Hz at 1 kHz), and 40 matches per condition were obtained. For fenv = fc/11.5, the results favored hypothesis A for all values of fc, indicating that TFS cues are available and used for pitch extraction, up to at least 7 k...

A novel family of sequence-specific endoribonucleases associated with the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats.

Science.gov (United States)

Beloglazova, Natalia; Brown, Greg; Zimmerman, Matthew D; Proudfoot, Michael; Makarova, Kira S; Kudritska, Marina; Kochinyan, Samvel; Wang, Shuren; Chruszcz, Maksymilian; Minor, Wladek; Koonin, Eugene V; Edwards, Aled M; Savchenko, Alexei; Yakunin, Alexander F

2008-07-18

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPRs) together with the associated CAS proteins protect microbial cells from invasion by foreign genetic elements using presently unknown molecular mechanisms. All CRISPR systems contain proteins of the CAS2 family, suggesting that these uncharacterized proteins play a central role in this process. Here we show that the CAS2 proteins represent a novel family of endoribonucleases. Six purified CAS2 proteins from diverse organisms cleaved single-stranded RNAs preferentially within U-rich regions. A representative CAS2 enzyme, SSO1404 from Sulfolobus solfataricus, cleaved the phosphodiester linkage on the 3'-side and generated 5'-phosphate- and 3'-hydroxyl-terminated oligonucleotides. The crystal structure of SSO1404 was solved at 1.6A resolution revealing the first ribonuclease with a ferredoxin-like fold. Mutagenesis of SSO1404 identified six residues (Tyr-9, Asp-10, Arg-17, Arg-19, Arg-31, and Phe-37) that are important for enzymatic activity and suggested that Asp-10 might be the principal catalytic residue. Thus, CAS2 proteins are sequence-specific endoribonucleases, and we propose that their role in the CRISPR-mediated anti-phage defense might involve degradation of phage or cellular mRNAs.

Two-stage simplified swarm optimization for the redundancy allocation problem in a multi-state bridge system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lai, Chyh-Ming; Yeh, Wei-Chang

2016-01-01

The redundancy allocation problem involves configuring an optimal system structure with high reliability and low cost, either by alternating the elements with more reliable elements and/or by forming them redundantly. The multi-state bridge system is a special redundancy allocation problem and is commonly used in various engineering systems for load balancing and control. Traditional methods for redundancy allocation problem cannot solve multi-state bridge systems efficiently because it is impossible to transfer and reduce a multi-state bridge system to series and parallel combinations. Hence, a swarm-based approach called two-stage simplified swarm optimization is proposed in this work to effectively and efficiently solve the redundancy allocation problem in a multi-state bridge system. For validating the proposed method, two experiments are implemented. The computational results indicate the advantages of the proposed method in terms of solution quality and computational efficiency. - Highlights: • Propose two-stage SSO (SSO_T_S) to deal with RAP in multi-state bridge system. • Dynamic upper bound enhances the efficiency of searching near-optimal solution. • Vector-update stages reduces the problem dimensions. • Statistical results indicate SSO_T_S is robust both in solution quality and runtime.

Evaluating and Improving Wind Forecasts over South China: The Role of Orographic Parameterization in the GRAPES Model

Science.gov (United States)

Zhong, Shuixin; Chen, Zitong; Xu, Daosheng; Zhang, Yanxia

2018-06-01

Unresolved small-scale orographic (SSO) drags are parameterized in a regional model based on the Global/Regional Assimilation and Prediction System for the Tropical Mesoscale Model (GRAPES TMM). The SSO drags are represented by adding a sink term in the momentum equations. The maximum height of the mountain within the grid box is adopted in the SSO parameterization (SSOP) scheme as compensation for the drag. The effects of the unresolved topography are parameterized as the feedbacks to the momentum tendencies on the first model level in planetary boundary layer (PBL) parameterization. The SSOP scheme has been implemented and coupled with the PBL parameterization scheme within the model physics package. A monthly simulation is designed to examine the performance of the SSOP scheme over the complex terrain areas located in the southwest of Guangdong. The verification results show that the surface wind speed bias has been much alleviated by adopting the SSOP scheme, in addition to reduction of the wind bias in the lower troposphere. The target verification over Xinyi shows that the simulations with the SSOP scheme provide improved wind estimation over the complex regions in the southwest of Guangdong.

Advances of evolutionary computation methods and operators

CERN Document Server

Cuevas, Erik; Oliva Navarro, Diego Alberto

2016-01-01

The goal of this book is to present advances that discuss alternative Evolutionary Computation (EC) developments and non-conventional operators which have proved to be effective in the solution of several complex problems. The book has been structured so that each chapter can be read independently from the others. The book contains nine chapters with the following themes: 1) Introduction, 2) the Social Spider Optimization (SSO), 3) the States of Matter Search (SMS), 4) the collective animal behavior (CAB) algorithm, 5) the Allostatic Optimization (AO) method, 6) the Locust Search (LS) algorithm, 7) the Adaptive Population with Reduced Evaluations (APRE) method, 8) the multimodal CAB, 9) the constrained SSO method.

Practical Cryptanalysis of a Public-key Encryption Scheme Based on New Multivariate Quadratic Assumptions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Albrecht, Martin Roland; Faugére, Jean-Charles; Fitzpatrick, Robert

2014-01-01

Gaussian distributions. The other terms being chosen uniformly at random. Such a problem is a variant of the classical problem of solving a system of non-linear equations (PoSSo), which is known to be hard for random systems. The main hypothesis of Huang, Liu and Yang is that their variant is not easier...... than solving PoSSo for random instances. In this paper, we disprove this hypothesis. To this end, we exploit the fact that the new problem proposed by Huang, Liu and Yang reduces to an easy instance of the Learning With Errors (LWE) problem. The main contribution of this paper is to show that security...

Hummingbirds rely on both paracellular and carrier-mediated intestinal glucose absorption to fuel high metabolism

Science.gov (United States)

McWhorter, Todd J; Bakken, Bradley Hartman; Karasov, William H; del Rio, Carlos Martínez

2005-01-01

Twenty years ago, the highest active glucose transport rate and lowest passive glucose permeability in vertebrates were reported in Rufous and Anna's hummingbirds (Selasphorus rufus, Calypte anna). These first measurements of intestinal nutrient absorption in nectarivores provided an unprecedented physiological foundation for understanding their foraging ecology. They showed that physiological processes are determinants of feeding behaviour. The conclusion that active, mediated transport accounts for essentially all glucose absorption in hummingbirds influenced two decades of subsequent research on the digestive physiology and nutritional ecology of nectarivores. Here, we report new findings demonstrating that the passive permeability of hummingbird intestines to glucose is much higher than previously reported, suggesting that not all sugar uptake is mediated. Even while possessing the highest active glucose transport rates measured in vertebrates, hummingbirds must rely partially on passive non-mediated intestinal nutrient absorption to meet their high mass-specific metabolic demands. PMID:17148346

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy and chemometrics for classification of toys relying on toxic elements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Godoi, Quienly; Leme, Flavio O.; Trevizan, Lilian C.; Pereira Filho, Edenir R.; Rufini, Iolanda A.; Santos, Dario; Krug, Francisco J.

2011-01-01

Quality control of toys for avoiding children exposure to potentially toxic elements is of utmost relevance and it is a common requirement in national and/or international norms for health and safety reasons. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) was recently evaluated at authors' laboratory for direct analysis of plastic toys and one of the main difficulties for the determination of Cd, Cr and Pb was the variety of mixtures and types of polymers. As most norms rely on migration (lixiviation) protocols, chemometric classification models from LIBS spectra were tested for sampling toys that present potential risk of Cd, Cr and Pb contamination. The classification models were generated from the emission spectra of 51 polymeric toys and by using Partial Least Squares - Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA), Soft Independent Modeling of Class Analogy (SIMCA) and K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN). The classification models and validations were carried out with 40 and 11 test samples, respectively. Best results were obtained when KNN was used, with corrected predictions varying from 95% for Cd to 100% for Cr and Pb.

Social plasticity relies on different neuroplasticity mechanisms across the brain social decision-making network in zebrafish

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Magda C Teles

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Social living animals need to adjust the expression of their behavior to their status within the group and to changes in social context and this ability (social plasticity has an impact on their Darwinian fitness. At the proximate level social plasticity must rely on neuroplasticity in the brain social decision-making network (SDMN that underlies the expression of social behavior, such that the same neural circuit may underlie the expression of different behaviors depending on social context. Here we tested this hypothesis in zebrafish by characterizing the gene expression response in the SDMN to changes in social status of a set of genes involved in different types of neural plasticity: bdnf, involved in changes in synaptic strength; npas4, involved in contextual learning and dependent establishment of GABAergic synapses; neuroligins (nlgn1 and nlgn2 as synaptogenesis markers; and genes involved in adult neurogenesis (wnt3 and neurod. Four social phenotypes were experimentally induced: Winners and Losers of a real-opponent interaction; Mirror-fighters, that fight their own image in a mirror and thus do not experience a change in social status despite the expression of aggressive behavior; and non-interacting fish, which were used as a reference group. Our results show that each social phenotype (i.e. Winners, Losers and Mirror-fighters present specific patterns of gene expression across the SDMN, and that different neuroplasticity genes are differentially expressed in different nodes of the network (e.g. BDNF in the dorsolateral telencephalon, which is a putative teleost homologue of the mammalian hippocampus. Winners expressed unique patterns of gene co-expression across the SDMN, whereas in Losers and Mirror-fighters the co-expression patterns were similar in the dorsal regions of the telencephalon and in the supracommissural nucleus of the ventral telencephalic area, but differents in the remaining regions of the ventral telencephalon. These

Social Plasticity Relies on Different Neuroplasticity Mechanisms across the Brain Social Decision-Making Network in Zebrafish.

Science.gov (United States)

Teles, Magda C; Cardoso, Sara D; Oliveira, Rui F

2016-01-01

Social living animals need to adjust the expression of their behavior to their status within the group and to changes in social context and this ability (social plasticity) has an impact on their Darwinian fitness. At the proximate level social plasticity must rely on neuroplasticity in the brain social decision-making network (SDMN) that underlies the expression of social behavior, such that the same neural circuit may underlie the expression of different behaviors depending on social context. Here we tested this hypothesis in zebrafish by characterizing the gene expression response in the SDMN to changes in social status of a set of genes involved in different types of neural plasticity: bdnf, involved in changes in synaptic strength; npas4, involved in contextual learning and dependent establishment of GABAergic synapses; neuroligins (nlgn1 and nlgn2) as synaptogenesis markers; and genes involved in adult neurogenesis (wnt3 and neurod). Four social phenotypes were experimentally induced: Winners and Losers of a real-opponent interaction; Mirror-fighters, that fight their own image in a mirror and thus do not experience a change in social status despite the expression of aggressive behavior; and non-interacting fish, which were used as a reference group. Our results show that each social phenotype (i.e., Winners, Losers, and Mirror-fighters) present specific patterns of gene expression across the SDMN, and that different neuroplasticity genes are differentially expressed in different nodes of the network (e.g., BDNF in the dorsolateral telencephalon, which is a putative teleost homolog of the mammalian hippocampus). Winners expressed unique patterns of gene co-expression across the SDMN, whereas in Losers and Mirror-fighters the co-expression patterns were similar in the dorsal regions of the telencephalon and in the supracommissural nucleus of the ventral telencephalic area, but differents in the remaining regions of the ventral telencephalon. These results

Social Plasticity Relies on Different Neuroplasticity Mechanisms across the Brain Social Decision-Making Network in Zebrafish

Science.gov (United States)

Teles, Magda C.; Cardoso, Sara D.; Oliveira, Rui F.

2016-01-01

Social living animals need to adjust the expression of their behavior to their status within the group and to changes in social context and this ability (social plasticity) has an impact on their Darwinian fitness. At the proximate level social plasticity must rely on neuroplasticity in the brain social decision-making network (SDMN) that underlies the expression of social behavior, such that the same neural circuit may underlie the expression of different behaviors depending on social context. Here we tested this hypothesis in zebrafish by characterizing the gene expression response in the SDMN to changes in social status of a set of genes involved in different types of neural plasticity: bdnf, involved in changes in synaptic strength; npas4, involved in contextual learning and dependent establishment of GABAergic synapses; neuroligins (nlgn1 and nlgn2) as synaptogenesis markers; and genes involved in adult neurogenesis (wnt3 and neurod). Four social phenotypes were experimentally induced: Winners and Losers of a real-opponent interaction; Mirror-fighters, that fight their own image in a mirror and thus do not experience a change in social status despite the expression of aggressive behavior; and non-interacting fish, which were used as a reference group. Our results show that each social phenotype (i.e., Winners, Losers, and Mirror-fighters) present specific patterns of gene expression across the SDMN, and that different neuroplasticity genes are differentially expressed in different nodes of the network (e.g., BDNF in the dorsolateral telencephalon, which is a putative teleost homolog of the mammalian hippocampus). Winners expressed unique patterns of gene co-expression across the SDMN, whereas in Losers and Mirror-fighters the co-expression patterns were similar in the dorsal regions of the telencephalon and in the supracommissural nucleus of the ventral telencephalic area, but differents in the remaining regions of the ventral telencephalon. These results

Preparing for CMOM: challenges, opportunities and new approaches?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moore, G.T.; Morris, C.D.

2002-01-01

This paper will address the various aspects of the Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) rule as it affects MSD and possibly other agencies / operators and municipalities with a focus on a new tool for estimating rainfall dependent inflow and infiltration (RDII). The statistical analysis will identify the principal factors that influence RDII such that they can be incorporated into the modeling and design efforts of relief or replacement sewers in a quantifiable manner. The method employed is a statistical model approach to predict RDII at any point in a collection system when applied to the principal sewershed characteristics. The model has stochastic and regression features in establishing RDII in a collection system when adequate resources are not available. With this model, the objective is to provide planners and designers with a tool to better estimate the RDII volumes, flows, and physical causes of excessive stormwater in a sanitary collection system. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) is proposing in the new SSO rule comprehensive strategies in order to improve water quality from point source discharges. The SSO rule will require owners of the sanitary collection system to exercise decision-making skills so that the utility, agency or municipality will be in the best position possible to comply with the rule. These decisions will have significant impacts in both the near and far terms in regards to resources required from the local, state and federal governments and citizens. The SSO rule has four themes that will need to be a part of the owner's strategic approach: 1. Capacity Assurance, Management, Operations and Maintenance (CMOM) program; 2. A management approach for each sewershed or treatment area; 3. Prohibition provision for overflows. 4. Public notification, reporting and record keeping requirements. (author)

Truss Structure Optimization with Subset Simulation and Augmented Lagrangian Multiplier Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Feng Du

2017-11-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a global optimization method for structural design optimization, which integrates subset simulation optimization (SSO and the dynamic augmented Lagrangian multiplier method (DALMM. The proposed method formulates the structural design optimization as a series of unconstrained optimization sub-problems using DALMM and makes use of SSO to find the global optimum. The combined strategy guarantees that the proposed method can automatically detect active constraints and provide global optimal solutions with finite penalty parameters. The accuracy and robustness of the proposed method are demonstrated by four classical truss sizing problems. The results are compared with those reported in the literature, and show a remarkable statistical performance based on 30 independent runs.

Annual Site Environmental Report: 2015 (ASER) for the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sabba, Dellilah [SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States)

2016-09-01

This report, prepared by the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC) for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), SLAC Site Office (SSO), provides a comprehensive summary of the environmental program activities at SLAC for calendar year 2015. Annual Site Environmental Reports (ASERs) are prepared for all DOE sites with significant environmental activities, and distributed to relevant external regulatory agencies and other interested organizations or individuals. To the best of my knowledge, this report accurately summarizes the results of the 2015 environmental monitoring, compliance, and restoration programs at SLAC. This assurance can be made based on SSO and SLAC review of the ASER, and quality assurance protocols applied to monitoring and data analyses at SLAC.

12 CFR 714.5 - What is required if you rely on an estimated residual value greater than 25% of the original cost...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 6 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false What is required if you rely on an estimated residual value greater than 25% of the original cost of the leased property? 714.5 Section 714.5 Banks and Banking NATIONAL CREDIT UNION ADMINISTRATION REGULATIONS AFFECTING CREDIT UNIONS LEASING § 714.5 What is...

Space Shuttle Communications Coverage Analysis for Thermal Tile Inspection

Science.gov (United States)

Kroll, Quin D.; Hwu, Shian U.; Upanavage, Matthew; Boster, John P.; Chavez, Mark A.

2009-01-01

The space shuttle ultra-high frequency Space-to-Space Communication System has to provide adequate communication coverage for astronauts who are performing thermal tile inspection and repair on the underside of the space shuttle orbiter (SSO). Careful planning and quantitative assessment are necessary to ensure successful system operations and mission safety in this work environment. This study assesses communication systems performance for astronauts who are working in the underside, non-line-of-sight shadow region on the space shuttle. All of the space shuttle and International Space Station (ISS) transmitting antennas are blocked by the SSO structure. To ensure communication coverage at planned inspection worksites, the signal strength and link margin between the SSO/ISS antennas and the extravehicular activity astronauts, whose line-of-sight is blocked by vehicle structure, was analyzed. Investigations were performed using rigorous computational electromagnetic modeling techniques. Signal strength was obtained by computing the reflected and diffracted fields along the signal propagation paths between transmitting and receiving antennas. Radio frequency (RF) coverage was determined for thermal tile inspection and repair missions using the results of this computation. Analysis results from this paper are important in formulating the limits on reliable communication range and RF coverage at planned underside inspection and repair worksites.

Correlating In Vitro Splice Switching Activity With Systemic In Vivo Delivery Using Novel ZEN-modified Oligonucleotides

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suzan M Hammond

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Splice switching oligonucleotides (SSOs induce alternative splicing of pre-mRNA and typically employ chemical modifications to increase nuclease resistance and binding affinity to target pre-mRNA. Here we describe a new SSO non-base modifier (a naphthyl-azo group, “ZEN™” to direct exon exclusion in mutant dystrophin pre-mRNA to generate functional dystrophin protein. The ZEN modifier is placed near the ends of a 2′-O-methyl (2′OMe oligonucleotide, increasing melting temperature and potency over unmodified 2′OMe oligonucleotides. In cultured H2K cells, a ZEN-modified 2′OMe phosphorothioate (PS oligonucleotide delivered by lipid transfection greatly enhanced dystrophin exon skipping over the same 2′OMePS SSO lacking ZEN. However, when tested using free gymnotic uptake in vitro and following systemic delivery in vivo in dystrophin deficient mdx mice, the same ZEN-modified SSO failed to enhance potency. Importantly, we show for the first time that in vivo activity of anionic SSOs is modelled in vitro only when using gymnotic delivery. ZEN is thus a novel modifier that enhances activity of SSOs in vitro but will require improved delivery methods before its in vivo clinical potential can be realized.

Rely-Guarantee Protocols

Science.gov (United States)

2014-05-01

University Pittsburgh, PA 15213 1School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. 2Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia ...additional examples that are not in the ECOOP paper. This work was partially supported by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (Portuguese Foundation

Biological adhesion of the flatworm Macrostomum lignano relies on a duo-gland system and is mediated by a cell type-specific intermediate filament protein

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lengerer, Birgit; Pjeta, Robert; Wunderer, Julia; Rodrigues, Marcelo; Arbore, Roberto; Schaerer, Lukas; Berezikov, Eugene; Hess, Michael W.; Pfaller, Kristian; Egger, Bernhard; Obwegeser, Sabrina; Salvenmoser, Willi; Ladurner, Peter

2014-01-01

Background: Free-living flatworms, in both marine and freshwater environments, are able to adhere to and release from a substrate several times within a second. This reversible adhesion relies on adhesive organs comprised of three cell types: an adhesive gland cell, a releasing gland cell, and an

Mouse V1 population correlates of visual detection rely on heterogeneity within neuronal response patterns

Science.gov (United States)

Montijn, Jorrit S; Goltstein, Pieter M; Pennartz, Cyriel MA

2015-01-01

Previous studies have demonstrated the importance of the primary sensory cortex for the detection, discrimination, and awareness of visual stimuli, but it is unknown how neuronal populations in this area process detected and undetected stimuli differently. Critical differences may reside in the mean strength of responses to visual stimuli, as reflected in bulk signals detectable in functional magnetic resonance imaging, electro-encephalogram, or magnetoencephalography studies, or may be more subtly composed of differentiated activity of individual sensory neurons. Quantifying single-cell Ca2+ responses to visual stimuli recorded with in vivo two-photon imaging, we found that visual detection correlates more strongly with population response heterogeneity rather than overall response strength. Moreover, neuronal populations showed consistencies in activation patterns across temporally spaced trials in association with hit responses, but not during nondetections. Contrary to models relying on temporally stable networks or bulk signaling, these results suggest that detection depends on transient differentiation in neuronal activity within cortical populations. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.10163.001 PMID:26646184

Cytotoxicity Comparison of Harvard Zinc Phosphate Cement Versus Panavia F2 and Rely X Plus Resin Cements on Rat L929-fibroblasts.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahasti, Sahabi; Sattari, Mandana; Romoozi, Elham; Akbar-Zadeh Baghban, Alireza

2011-01-01

Resin cements, regardless of their biocompatibility, have been widely used in restorative dentistry during the recent years. These cements contain hydroxy ethyl methacrylate (HEMA) molecules which are claimed to penetrate into dentinal tubules and may affect dental pulp. Since tooth preparation for metal ceramic restorations involves a large surface of the tooth, cytotoxicity of these cements would be more important in fixed prosthodontic treatments. The purpose of this study was to compare the cytotoxicity of two resin cements (Panavia F2 and Rely X Plus) versus zinc phosphate cement (Harvard) using rat L929-fibroblasts in vitro. In this experimental study, ninety hollow glass cylinders (internal diameter 5-mm, height 2-mm) were made and divided into three groups. Each group was filled with one of three experimental cements; Harvard Zinc Phosphate cement, Panavia F2 resin cement and Rely X Plus resin cement. L929- Fibroblast were passaged and subsequently cultured in 6-well plates of 5×10(5) cells each. The culture medium was RPMI_ 1640. All samples were incubated in CO2. Using enzyme-linked immune-sorbent assay (ELISA) and (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) (MTT) assay, the cytotoxicity of the cements was investigated at 1 hour, 24 hours and one week post exposure. Statistical analyses were performed via two-way ANOVA and honestly significant difference (HSD) Tukey tests. This study revealed significant differences between the three cements at the different time intervals. Harvard cement displayed the greatest cytotoxicity at all three intervals. After 1 hour Panavia F2 showed the next greatest cytotoxicity, but after 24-hours and oneweek intervals Rely X Plus showed the next greatest cytotoxicity. The results further showed that cytotoxicity decreased significantly in the Panavia F2 group with time (pHarvard cement group failed to showed no noticeable change in cytotoxicity with time. Although this study has limitations, it provides

Non-Specific Reactions during Immunomagnetic Separation of Listeria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iveta Zachová

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Problems occurring during the immunomagnetic separation (IMS of Listeria using immunomagnetic particles Dynabeads® anti-Listeria (Dynal Biotech, Norway were specified. Characteristics of these particles were compared with anti-Listeria spp. magnetite particles (Quantum Magnetics, USA. Pure cultures of Listeria innocua, Arthrobacter spp., Bacillus subtilis, Citrobacter braakii, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter aerogenes, Enterobacter cloacae and Staphylococcus aureus were used to evaluate non-specific reactions during IMS. Gram-positive microorganisms, especially Staphylococcus aureus and Arthrobacter spp., were found to be responsible for non-specific reactions in most cases. The capacity of Dynabeads® anti-Listeria particles was determined to be about 10 % of the initial pure cultures of Listeria spp., after 10 min of incubation. Non-specific reactions during IMS of Listeria were examined on the artificially inoculated food samples in which Gram-positive bacteria showed the highest percentage of capture. Influence of washing in two buffers was also studied.

Can we rely on the antiretroviral treatment as the only means for human immunodeficiency virusprevention? A Public Health perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Mozalevskis, Antons; Manzanares-Laya, Sandra; García de Olalla, Patricia; Moreno, Antonio; Jacques-Aviñó, Constanza; Caylà, Joan A

2015-11-01

The evidence that supports the preventive effect of combination antiretroviral treatment (cART) in HIV sexual transmission suggested the so-called 'treatment as prevention' (TAP) strategy as a promising tool for slowing down HIV transmission. As the messages and attitudes towards condom use in the context of TAP appear to be somehow confusing, the aim here is to assess whether relying on cART alone to prevent HIV transmission can currently be recommended from the Public Health perspective. A review is made of the literature on the effects of TAP strategy on HIV transmission and the epidemiology of other sexual transmitted infections (STIs) in the cART era, and recommendations from Public Health institutions on the TAP as of February 2014. The evolution of HIV and other STIs in Barcelona from 2007 to 2012 has also been analysed. Given that the widespread use of cART has coincided with an increasing incidence of HIV and other STIs, mainly amongst men who have sex with men, a combination and diversified prevention methods should always be considered and recommended in counselling. An informed decision on whether to stop using condoms should only be made by partners within stable couples, and after receiving all the up-to-date information regarding TAP. From the public health perspective, primary prevention should be a priority; therefore relying on cART alone is not a sufficient strategy to prevent new HIV and other STIs. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier España, S.L.U. y Sociedad Española de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología Clínica. All rights reserved.

Municipal solid waste options : integrating organics management and residual disposal treatment : executive summary

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cant, M. (comp.) [Totten Sims Hubicki Associates Ltd., Calgary, AB (Canada); Van der Werf, P. [2cg Inc., Edmonton, AB (Canada); Kelleher, M. [Kelleher Environmental, Toronto, ON (Canada); Merriman, D. [MacViro Consultants, Markham, ON (Canada); Fitcher, K. [Gartner Lee Ltd., Toronto, ON (Canada); MacDonald, N. [CH2M Hill Engineering Ltd., Calgary, AB (Canada)

2006-04-15

The Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Options Report explored different MSW management options for 3 community sizes: 20,000, 80,000 and 200,0000 people. It was released at a time when many communities were developing waste management plans to cost-effectively reduce environmental impacts and conserve landfill capacity. The purpose of this report was to provide a greater understanding on the environmental, social, economic, energy recovery/utilization and greenhouse gas (GHG) considerations of MSW management. The report also demonstrated the interrelationships between the management of organics and residuals. It was based on information from existing waste diversion and organics management options and emerging residual treatment technology options. The following organics management and residual treatment disposal options were evaluated: composting; anaerobic digestion; sanitary landfills; bioreactor landfills; and thermal treatment. Composting was examined with reference to both source separated organics (SSO) and mixed waste composting. SSO refers to the separation of materials suitable for composting solid waste from households, while mixed waste composting refers to the manual or mechanical removal of recyclable material from the waste, including compost. The composting process was reviewed along with available technologies such as non-reactor windrow; aerated static pile; reactor enclosed channel; and, container tunnel. An evaluation of SSO and mixed waste composting was then presented in terms of environmental, social, financial and GHG impacts. refs., tabs., figs.

A Case Study of Control and Improved Simplified Swarm Optimization for Economic Dispatch of a Stand-Alone Modular Microgrid

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xianyong Zhang

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Due to the complex configuration and control framework, the conventional microgrid is not cost-effective for engineering applications with small or medium capacity. A stand-alone modular microgrid with separated AC bus and decentralized control strategy is proposed in this paper. Each module is a self-powered system, which consists of wind and solar power, a storage battery, load and three-port converter. The modules are interconnected by three-port converters to form the microgrid. Characteristics, operation principle, control of the modular microgrid and the three-port converter are analyzed in detail. Distributed storage batteries enable power exchanges among modules to enhance economic returns. Economic dispatch of the stand-alone modular microgrid is a mixed-integer programming problem. A day-ahead operation optimization model including fuel cost, battery operation cost, and power transmission cost is established. Because there are so many constraints, it is difficult to produce a feasible solution and even more difficult to have an improved solution. An improved simplified swarm optimization (iSSO method is therefore proposed. The iSSO scheme designs the new update mechanism and survival of the fittest policy. The experimental results from the demonstration project on DongAo Island reflect the effectiveness of the stand-alone modular microgrid and the economic dispatch strategy based on the iSSO method.

T-Check in Technologies for Interoperability: Web Services and Security--Single Sign-On

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Wrage, Lutz; Simanta, Soumya; Lewis, Grace A; Jaspan, Saul

2007-01-01

.... This technical note presents the results of applying the T-Check approach in an initial investigation of two Web services standards, WS-Security and SAML, to create an SSO solution that works inside...

Relationship between mandibular anatomy and the occurrence of a bad split upon sagittal split osteotomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Aarabi, Mohammadali; Tabrizi, Reza; Hekmat, Mina; Shahidi, Shoaleh; Puzesh, Ayatollah

2014-12-01

A bad split is a troublesome complication of the sagittal split osteotomy (SSO). The aim of this study was to evaluate the relation between the occurrence of a bad split and mandibular anatomy in SSO using cone-beam computed tomography. The authors designed a cohort retrospective study. Forty-eight patients (96 SSO sites) were studied. The buccolingual thickness of the retromandibular area (BLR), the buccolingual thickness of the ramus at the level of the lingula (BLTR), the height of the mandible from the alveolar crest to the inferior border of the mandible, (ACIB), the distance between the sigmoid notch and the inferior border of the mandible (SIBM), and the anteroposterior width of the ramus (APWR) were measured. The independent t test was applied to compare anatomic measurements between the group with and the group without bad splits. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) test was used to find a cutoff point in anatomic size for various parts of the mandible related to the occurrence of bad splits. The mean SIBM was 47.05±6.33 mm in group 1 (with bad splits) versus 40.66±2.44 mm in group 2 (without bad splits; P=.01). The mean BLTR was 5.74±1.11 mm in group 1 versus 3.19±0.55 mm in group 2 (P=.04). The mean BLR was 14.98±2.78 mm in group 1 versus 11.21±1.29 mm in group 2 (P=.001). No statistically significant difference was found for APWR and ACIB between the 2 groups. The ROC test showed cutoff points of 10.17 mm for BLR, 36.69 mm for SIBM, and 4.06 mm for BLTR. This study showed that certain mandibular anatomic differences can increase the risk of a bad split during SSO surgery. Copyright © 2014 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sources, migration and transformation of antimony contamination in the water environment of Xikuangshan, China: Evidence from geochemical and stable isotope (S, Sr) signatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wen, Bing; Zhou, Jianwei; Zhou, Aiguo; Liu, Cunfu; Xie, Lina

2016-01-01

The Xikuangshan (XKS) mine in central China is the largest antimony (Sb) mine in the world. The mining activity has seriously contaminated the waters in the area. To determine the sources, migration and transformation of Sb contamination, 32 samples from groundwater (aquifer water), surface water and mine water were collected for water chemistry, trace element and S_S_O_4 and Sr stable isotope analyses. The results showed that the groundwater and surface water were in an oxidized environment. The S_S_O_4 and Sr isotope compositions in the water indicated that dissolved Sb and SO_4"2 originated from sulfide mineral (Sb_2S_3) oxidation, whereas radiogenic Sr may have been sourced from silicified limestone and stibnite in the Shetianqiao aquifer. Furthermore, a positive correlation between δ"3"4S_S_O_4 and δ"8"7Sr values revealed that the Sr, S and Sb in the waters had a common contamination source, i.e., silicified limestone and stibnite, whereas the Sr, S and Sb in rock and ore were sourced from Proterozoic basement clastics. The analysis also indicated that the isotope composition of dissolved SO_4"2 "− had been influenced by slight bacterial SO_4 reduction in the Magunao aquifer. Mining or rock collapse may have caused Shetianqiao aquifer water to contaminate the Magunao aquifer water via mixing. This study has demonstrated that the stable isotopes of "3"4S_S_O_4 and "8"7Sr, combined with hydrochemical methods, are effective in tracking the sources, migration and transformation of Sb contamination. - Highlights: • Mining activities at XKS mine have caused serious water contamination. • The characteristics of Sb contamination in water environment are still unclear. • Combine S isotopes of sulfate and Sr isotopes with hydrochemical methods. • Sr, S, and Sb in natural water had a common source: silicified limestone and stibnite. • Shetianqiao aquifer water contaminated the Magunao aquifer water via mixing.

ANALISIS DAN IMPLEMENTASI MIKROTIK ROUTER BOARD RB450G UNTUK MANAJEMEN JARINGAN (STUDI KASUS : BADAN PENGKAJIAN DAN PENERAPAN TEKNOLOGI SUB BALAI BESAR TEKNOLOGI ENERGI (B2TE-BPPT SERPONG

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rahmat Rizkiyanto

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The importance of a management of the network in B2TE and optimize use of existing network devices. During this time, the network system that is running can’t be managed properly. There are still problems, especially related to topology, traffic network system, bandwidth, access rights, and the login process. On the basis of these, carried out an analysis and implementation of development using Network Development Live Cycle (NDLC with activity analysis, design, prototype simulation, implementation, monitoring, and management. Development method is applied to solve problems that occur. Data collection methods used are the methods of observation and interviews with the B2TE and do a similar study. To resolve issues related to topology, topology implemented using the router board. For traffic network system, load balancing system implemented by the method of Per Connection Classifier (PCC. Queue tree with Hierarcial Token Bucket (HTB method and Per Connection Queue (PCQ and hotspot system is applied to solve problems related to bandwidth and permissions. Single sign-on system (SSO with Open LDAP and RADIUS functioned to minimize the use of username and password during the login process. From the test results of the implemented system, the selection router board it is appropriate to handle the problem topology. Load balancing with the PCC method, queue tree with HTB and PCQ methods and systems hotspot capable of answering traffic problems on the issue of network systems, bandwidth, and permissions. While the system SSO is capable of handling problems login process. For further development, it is expected that the system has been running for bandwidth management rule can be added to separate the local and international bandwidth. Then, for security, made ​​the policy in terms of access to the IP address and port. In terms of permissions, can be applied to the scheduling of access to certain sites. For the development of SSO, can be applied SSO

Solar system science with ESA Euclid

Science.gov (United States)

Carry, B.

2018-01-01

Context. The ESA Euclid mission has been designed to map the geometry of the dark Universe. Scheduled for launch in 2020, it will conduct a six-year visible and near-infrared imaging and spectroscopic survey over 15 000 deg2 down to VAB 24.5. Although the survey will avoid ecliptic latitudes below 15°, the survey pattern in repeated sequences of four broadband filters seems well-adapted to detect and characterize solar system objects (SSOs). Aims: We aim at evaluating the capability of Euclid of discovering SSOs and of measuring their position, apparent magnitude, and spectral energy distribution. We also investigate how the SSO orbits, morphology (activity and multiplicity), physical properties (rotation period, spin orientation, and 3D shape), and surface composition can be determined based on these measurements. Methods: We used the current census of SSOs to extrapolate the total amount of SSOs that will be detectable by Euclid, that is, objects within the survey area and brighter than the limiting magnitude. For each different population of SSO, from neighboring near-Earth asteroids to distant Kuiper-belt objects (KBOs) and including comets, we compared the expected Euclid astrometry, photometry, and spectroscopy with the SSO properties to estimate how Euclid will constrain the SSOs dynamical, physical, and compositional properties. Results: With the current survey design, about 150 000 SSOs, mainly from the asteroid main-belt, should be observable by Euclid. These objects will all have high inclination, which is a difference to many SSO surveys that focus on the ecliptic plane. Euclid may be able to discover several 104 SSOs, in particular, distant KBOs at high declination. The Euclid observations will consist of a suite of four sequences of four measurements and will refine the spectral classification of SSOs by extending the spectral coverage provided by Gaia and the LSST, for instance, to 2 microns. Combined with sparse photometry such as measured by Gaia

The Detection of Subsynchronous Oscillation in HVDC Based on the Stochastic Subspace Identification Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chen Shi

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Subsynchronous oscillation (SSO usually caused by series compensation, power system stabilizer (PSS, high voltage direct current transmission (HVDC and other power electronic equipment, which will affect the safe operation of generator shafting even the system. It is very important to identify the modal parameters of SSO to take effective control strategies as well. Since the identification accuracy of traditional methods are not high enough, the stochastic subspace identification (SSI method is proposed to improve the identification accuracy of subsynchronous oscillation modal. The stochastic subspace identification method was compared with the other two methods on subsynchronous oscillation IEEE benchmark model and Xiang-Shang HVDC system model, the simulation results show that the stochastic subspace identification method has the advantages of high identification precision, high operation efficiency and strong ability of anti-noise.

Learning Similar Actions by Reinforcement or Sensory-Prediction Errors Rely on Distinct Physiological Mechanisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Uehara, Shintaro; Mawase, Firas; Celnik, Pablo

2017-09-14

Humans can acquire knowledge of new motor behavior via different forms of learning. The two forms most commonly studied have been the development of internal models based on sensory-prediction errors (error-based learning) and success-based feedback (reinforcement learning). Human behavioral studies suggest these are distinct learning processes, though the neurophysiological mechanisms that are involved have not been characterized. Here, we evaluated physiological markers from the cerebellum and the primary motor cortex (M1) using noninvasive brain stimulations while healthy participants trained finger-reaching tasks. We manipulated the extent to which subjects rely on error-based or reinforcement by providing either vector or binary feedback about task performance. Our results demonstrated a double dissociation where learning the task mainly via error-based mechanisms leads to cerebellar plasticity modifications but not long-term potentiation (LTP)-like plasticity changes in M1; while learning a similar action via reinforcement mechanisms elicited M1 LTP-like plasticity but not cerebellar plasticity changes. Our findings indicate that learning complex motor behavior is mediated by the interplay of different forms of learning, weighing distinct neural mechanisms in M1 and the cerebellum. Our study provides insights for designing effective interventions to enhance human motor learning. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Influence of Computerized Sounding Out on Spelling Performance for Children who do and not rely on AAC

Science.gov (United States)

McCarthy, Jillian H.; Hogan, Tiffany P.; Beukelman, David R.; Schwarz, Ilsa E.

2015-01-01

Purpose Spelling is an important skill for individuals who rely on augmentative alternative communication (AAC). The purpose of this study was to investigate how computerized sounding out influenced spelling accuracy of pseudo-words. Computerized sounding out was defined as a word elongated, thus providing an opportunity for a child to hear all the sounds in the word at a slower rate. Methods Seven children with cerebral palsy, four who use AAC and three who do not, participated in a single subject AB design. Results The results of the study indicated that the use of computerized sounding out increased the phonologic accuracy of the pseudo-words produced by participants. Conclusion The study provides preliminary evidence for the use of computerized sounding out during spelling tasks for children with cerebral palsy who do and do not use AAC. Future directions and clinical implications are discussed. PMID:24512195

High sugar-induced insulin resistance in Drosophila relies on the lipocalin Neural Lazarillo.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matthieu Y Pasco

Full Text Available In multicellular organisms, insulin/IGF signaling (IIS plays a central role in matching energy needs with uptake and storage, participating in functions as diverse as metabolic homeostasis, growth, reproduction and ageing. In mammals, this pleiotropy of action relies in part on a dichotomy of action of insulin, IGF-I and their respective membrane-bound receptors. In organisms with simpler IIS, this functional separation is questionable. In Drosophila IIS consists of several insulin-like peptides called Dilps, activating a unique membrane receptor and its downstream signaling cascade. During larval development, IIS is involved in metabolic homeostasis and growth. We have used feeding conditions (high sugar diet, HSD that induce an important change in metabolic homeostasis to monitor possible effects on growth. Unexpectedly we observed that HSD-fed animals exhibited severe growth inhibition as a consequence of peripheral Dilp resistance. Dilp-resistant animals present several metabolic disorders similar to those observed in type II diabetes (T2D patients. By exploring the molecular mechanisms involved in Drosophila Dilp resistance, we found a major role for the lipocalin Neural Lazarillo (NLaz, a target of JNK signaling. NLaz expression is strongly increased upon HSD and animals heterozygous for an NLaz null mutation are fully protected from HSD-induced Dilp resistance. NLaz is a secreted protein homologous to the Retinol-Binding Protein 4 involved in the onset of T2D in human and mice. These results indicate that insulin resistance shares common molecular mechanisms in flies and human and that Drosophila could emerge as a powerful genetic system to study some aspects of this complex syndrome.

Humans rely on the same rules to assess emotional valence and intensity in conspecific and dog vocalizations.

Science.gov (United States)

Faragó, Tamás; Andics, Attila; Devecseri, Viktor; Kis, Anna; Gácsi, Márta; Miklósi, Adám

2014-01-01

Humans excel at assessing conspecific emotional valence and intensity, based solely on non-verbal vocal bursts that are also common in other mammals. It is not known, however, whether human listeners rely on similar acoustic cues to assess emotional content in conspecific and heterospecific vocalizations, and which acoustical parameters affect their performance. Here, for the first time, we directly compared the emotional valence and intensity perception of dog and human non-verbal vocalizations. We revealed similar relationships between acoustic features and emotional valence and intensity ratings of human and dog vocalizations: those with shorter call lengths were rated as more positive, whereas those with a higher pitch were rated as more intense. Our findings demonstrate that humans rate conspecific emotional vocalizations along basic acoustic rules, and that they apply similar rules when processing dog vocal expressions. This suggests that humans may utilize similar mental mechanisms for recognizing human and heterospecific vocal emotions.

Software System for the Calibration of X-Ray Measuring Instruments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaytan-Gallardo, E.; Tovar-Munoz, V. M.; Cruz-Estrada, P.; Vergara-Martinez, F. J.; Rivero-Gutierrez, T.

2006-01-01

A software system that facilities the calibration of X-ray measuring instruments used in medical applications is presented. The Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratory (SSDL) of the Nuclear Research National Institute in Mexico (ININ in Spanish), supports activities concerning with ionizing radiations in medical area. One of these activities is the calibration of X-ray measuring instruments, in terms of air kerma or exposure by substitution method in an X-ray beam at a point where the rate has been determined by means of a standard ionization chamber. To automatize this process, a software system has been developed, the calibration system is composed by an X-ray unit, a Dynalizer IIIU X-ray meter by RADCAL, a commercial data acquisition card, the software system and the units to be tested and calibrated. A quality control plan has been applied in the development of the software system, ensuring that quality assurance procedures and standards are being followed

Regulatory theory: commercially sustainable markets rely upon satisfying the public interest in obtaining credible goods.

Science.gov (United States)

Warren-Jones, Amanda

2017-10-01

Regulatory theory is premised on the failure of markets, prompting a focus on regulators and industry from economic perspectives. This article argues that overlooking the public interest in the sustainability of commercial markets risks markets failing completely. This point is exemplified through health care markets - meeting an essential need - and focuses upon innovative medicines as the most desired products in that market. If this seemingly invulnerable market risks failure, there is a pressing need to consider the public interest in sustainable markets within regulatory literature and practice. Innovative medicines are credence goods, meaning that the sustainability of the market fundamentally relies upon the public trusting regulators to vouch for product quality. Yet, quality is being eroded by patent bodies focused on economic benefits from market growth, rather than ensuring innovatory value. Remunerative bodies are not funding medicines relative to market value, and market authorisation bodies are not vouching for robust safety standards or confining market entry to products for 'unmet medical need'. Arguably, this failure to assure quality heightens the risk of the market failing where it cannot be substituted by the reputation or credibility of providers of goods and/or information such as health care professionals/institutions, patient groups or industry.

Q/SdR.04.896-2008 SQR7130A217/Model A Car

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

2012-01-01

1.Background As the development of global economy demands an increasingly large quantity of energy,the energy crisis is getting more severe.Auto manufacturers in Japan,America,and Europe have all began to develop hybrid power vehicles or its technology platform since 1990s,so as to save energy.Relied on its THS system which consists of the planet wheel and e-CVT,TOYOTA developed a series of strong hybrid power vehicles,such as Prius,Lexus,Highlander,Camry,etc.Based on its IMA system,HONDA developed a series of mild hybrid power vehicles,such as Insight,Civic,Accord,etc.On the basis of its Belt-driven Starter Generator (BSG) system,French SPA Group developed a series of weak hybrid power vehicles,such as Citroen C3,Citroen C2,Citroen 1007,Citroen 207,etc.In America the research of hybrid power vehicle is being done actively by a group of relevant parties consisting of Department of Transport,Department of Defense,major auto companies and relevant organizations under the leadership of Department of Energy and with the large quantity ofinvestment from GE Motors Co.and CHRYSLER.

Imputation of missing genotypes within LD-blocks relying on the basic coalescent and beyond: consideration of population growth and structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Kabisch, Maria; Hamann, Ute; Lorenzo Bermejo, Justo

2017-10-17

Genotypes not directly measured in genetic studies are often imputed to improve statistical power and to increase mapping resolution. The accuracy of standard imputation techniques strongly depends on the similarity of linkage disequilibrium (LD) patterns in the study and reference populations. Here we develop a novel approach for genotype imputation in low-recombination regions that relies on the coalescent and permits to explicitly account for population demographic factors. To test the new method, study and reference haplotypes were simulated and gene trees were inferred under the basic coalescent and also considering population growth and structure. The reference haplotypes that first coalesced with study haplotypes were used as templates for genotype imputation. Computer simulations were complemented with the analysis of real data. Genotype concordance rates were used to compare the accuracies of coalescent-based and standard (IMPUTE2) imputation. Simulations revealed that, in LD-blocks, imputation accuracy relying on the basic coalescent was higher and less variable than with IMPUTE2. Explicit consideration of population growth and structure, even if present, did not practically improve accuracy. The advantage of coalescent-based over standard imputation increased with the minor allele frequency and it decreased with population stratification. Results based on real data indicated that, even in low-recombination regions, further research is needed to incorporate recombination in coalescence inference, in particular for studies with genetically diverse and admixed individuals. To exploit the full potential of coalescent-based methods for the imputation of missing genotypes in genetic studies, further methodological research is needed to reduce computer time, to take into account recombination, and to implement these methods in user-friendly computer programs. Here we provide reproducible code which takes advantage of publicly available software to facilitate

Intellectual property disclosure in standards development

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bekkers, R.N.A.; Catalini, C.; Martinelli, A.; Simcoe, T.

2012-01-01

Firms often collaborate to produce inter-operability standards so that independently designed products can work together. When this process takes place in a Standard Setting Organization (SSO), participants are typically required to disclose any intellectual property rights (IP) that would be

MijnOU.nl (proef met een sociale netwerkdienst binnen de Open Universiteit)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Eshuis, Jannes; Hermans, Henry

2010-01-01

Doel van het project Mijnou.nl Het ideaal van een volledig gepersonaliseerd startportaal, waarin studenten via een Single Sign On (SSO) toegang vinden tot al het leermateriaal waarop zij rechten hebben verworven, relevante informatie vinden over activiteiten op studiecentra, contacten kunnen

Co-C Dissociation of Adenosylcobalamin (Coenzyme B-12): Role of Dispersion, Induction Effects, Solvent Polarity, and Relativistic and Thermal Corrections

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kepp, Kasper Planeta

2014-01-01

for dispersion, relativistic effects, solvent polarity, basis set superposition error, and thermal and vibrational effects were investigated, totaling more than SSO single-point energies for the large model. The results show immense variability depending on method, including solvation, functional type...

Fruit production in three masting tree species does not rely on stored carbon reserves.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoch, Günter; Siegwolf, Rolf T W; Keel, Sonja G; Körner, Christian; Han, Qingmin

2013-03-01

Fruiting is typically considered to massively burden the seasonal carbon budget of trees. The cost of reproduction has therefore been suggested as a proximate factor explaining observed mast-fruiting patterns. Here, we used a large-scale, continuous (13)C labeling of mature, deciduous trees in a temperate Swiss forest to investigate to what extent fruit formation in three species with masting reproduction behavior (Carpinus betulus, Fagus sylvatica, Quercus petraea) relies on the import of stored carbon reserves. Using a free-air CO2 enrichment system, we exposed trees to (13)C-depleted CO2 during 8 consecutive years. By the end of this experiment, carbon reserve pools had significantly lower δ(13)C values compared to control trees. δ(13)C analysis of new biomass during the first season after termination of the CO2 enrichment allowed us to distinguish the sources of built-in carbon (old carbon reserves vs. current assimilates). Flowers and expanding leaves carried a significant (13)C label from old carbon stores. In contrast, fruits and vegetative infructescence tissues were exclusively produced from current, unlabeled photoassimilates in all three species, including F. sylvatica, which had a strong masting season. Analyses of δ(13)C in purified starch from xylem of fruit-bearing shoots revealed a complete turn-over of starch during the season, likely due to its usage for bud break. This study is the first to directly demonstrate that fruiting is independent from old carbon reserves in masting trees, with significant implications for mechanistic models that explain mast seeding.

Research Advances: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Finds New Way to Detect Destructive Enzyme Activity--Hair Dye Relies on Nanotechnology--Ways to Increase Shelf Life of Milk

Science.gov (United States)

King, Angela G.

2007-01-01

Recent advances in various research fields are described. Scientists at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have found a new way to detect destructive enzyme activity, scientists in France have found that an ancient hair dye used by ancient people in Greece and Rome relied on nanotechnology and in the U.S. scientists are developing new…

Efficient secretion of small proteins in mammalian cells relies on Sec62-dependent posttranslational translocation

Science.gov (United States)

Lakkaraju, Asvin K. K.; Thankappan, Ratheeshkumar; Mary, Camille; Garrison, Jennifer L.; Taunton, Jack; Strub, Katharina

2012-01-01

Mammalian cells secrete a large number of small proteins, but their mode of translocation into the endoplasmic reticulum is not fully understood. Cotranslational translocation was expected to be inefficient due to the small time window for signal sequence recognition by the signal recognition particle (SRP). Impairing the SRP pathway and reducing cellular levels of the translocon component Sec62 by RNA interference, we found an alternate, Sec62-dependent translocation path in mammalian cells required for the efficient translocation of small proteins with N-terminal signal sequences. The Sec62-dependent translocation occurs posttranslationally via the Sec61 translocon and requires ATP. We classified preproteins into three groups: 1) those that comprise ≤100 amino acids are strongly dependent on Sec62 for efficient translocation; 2) those in the size range of 120–160 amino acids use the SRP pathway, albeit inefficiently, and therefore rely on Sec62 for efficient translocation; and 3) those larger than 160 amino acids depend on the SRP pathway to preserve a transient translocation competence independent of Sec62. Thus, unlike in yeast, the Sec62-dependent translocation pathway in mammalian cells serves mainly as a fail-safe mechanism to ensure efficient secretion of small proteins and provides cells with an opportunity to regulate secretion of small proteins independent of the SRP pathway. PMID:22648169

Toward a Better Nutritional Aiding in Disasters: Relying on Lessons Learned during the Bam Earthquake.

Science.gov (United States)

Nekouie Moghadam, Mahmoud; Amiresmaieli, Mohammadreza; Hassibi, Mohammad; Doostan, Farideh; Khosravi, Sajad

2017-08-01

Introduction Examining various problems in the aftermath of disasters is very important to the disaster victims. Managing and coordinating food supply and its distribution among the victims is one of the most important problems after an earthquake. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to recognize problems and experiences in the field of nutritional aiding during an earthquake. This qualitative study was of phenomenological type. Using the purposive sampling method, 10 people who had experienced nutritional aiding during the Bam Earthquake (Iran; 2003) were interviewed. Colaizzi's method of analysis was used to analyze interview data. The findings of this study identified four main categories and 19 sub-categories concerning challenges in the nutritional aiding during the Bam Earthquake. The main topics included managerial, aiding, infrastructural, and administrative problems. The major problems in nutritional aiding include lack of prediction and development of a specific program of suitable nutritional pattern and nutritional assessment of the victims in critical conditions. Forming specialized teams, educating team members about nutrition, and making use of experts' knowledge are the most important steps to resolve these problems in the critical conditions; these measures are the duties of the relevant authorities. Nekouie Moghadam M , Amiresmaieli M , Hassibi M , Doostan F , Khosravi S . Toward a better nutritional aiding in disasters: relying on lessons learned during the Bam Earthquake. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2017;32(4):382-386.

The effect of sesame and sunflower oils on the plasma disposition of ivermectin in goats.

Science.gov (United States)

Gokbulut, C; Karademir, U; Boyacioglu, M; McKellar, Q A

2008-10-01

The effect of sesame oil (SSO) and sunflower oil (SFO) (the excipients) on the plasma disposition of ivermectin (IVM) following intravenous (i.v.) and subcutaneous (s.c.) administration at a dosage of 200 microg/kg was investigated in goats. Ten clinically healthy crossbred goats were used in the study. The animals were allocated by weight and sex into two groups of five animals each. Group 1 (n = 5) received the drug and excipient by the i.v. route only and group 2 received drug and excipient by the s.c. route only. The study was designed according to a two-phase crossover design protocol. In the first phase three animals in group 1 were i.v. administered IVM (0.2 mg/kg) + SSO (1 mL) and the other two animals received IVM (0.2 mg/kg) + SFO (1 mL). In the second phase animals were crossed over and received the alternate excipient with IVM at the same dosages. In group 2 during the first phase, three animals were s.c. administered IVM (0.2 mg/kg) + SSO (1 mL) and the other two animals were received IVM (0.2 mg/kg) + SFO (1 mL). In the second phase animals were crossed over and received the alternate excipient with IVM at the same dosages. A 4-week washout period was allowed between the two phases. In group 2 significantly increased dermal thickness was observed at the s.c. injection site of the all animals which received IVM during phase I regardless of the excipient. There was almost no change observed at the injection site of any animal during the second phase of the study following s.c. administration. In group 2 the plasma concentrations of IVM in the second phase for both excipient combinations were much higher than the plasma concentrations following first administration and appeared to be related with the dermal changes. The mean plasma disposition of IVM in combination with SSO or SFO was similar following i.v. administration. Longer terminal elimination half-lives and resultant longer mean resident time were observed after s.c. administration of the both

Disclosure rules and declared essential patents

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bekkers, R.N.A.; Catalini, C.; Martinelli, Arianna; Righi, C.; Simcoe, T.

Many standard setting organizations (SSOs) require participants to disclose patents that might be infringed by implementing a proposed standard, and commit to license their “essential” patents on terms that are at least fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND). Data from these SSO

Countering 21st Century Threats

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Scharling Pedersen, Peter; Pillai, Chad M.; Hun, Lee Jae

2015-01-01

), Counter-Terrorism (CT), and Security and Stability Operations (SSO). • Establishing a construct that allows a strategic Whole-of-Government capacity for operations coordinated by joint interagency task forces. • Continue to developing the Global SOF network. • Increased intelligence sharing in areas...

Effect of emotional dissonance on organizational citizenship behavior: testing the stressor-strain-outcome model.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheung, Francis Yue-Lok; Cheung, Ray Yu-Hin

2013-01-01

In this study, the stressor-strain-outcome (SSO) model developed by Koeske and Koeske was adopted to examine the mediating effect of burnout between emotional dissonance and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). The study involved 264 full-time Chinese school teachers (82 men, 16 women, and 22 individuals whose genders were not specified; mean age = 34.4 years and SD = 8.09 years). Correlation analysis showed that emotional dissonance is positively related to all three burnout dimensions (i.e., emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and lack of personal accomplishment). Emotional dissonance is also negatively related to OCB toward individuals. Results from structural equation modeling support the SSO model, which states that emotional dissonance first leads to burnout and then to lower OCB. The limitations and implications to the school management, such as provision of emotional regulation training and strengthening of the social network system, were also discussed.

A Fully Integrated Humidity Sensor System-on-Chip Fabricated by Micro-Stamping Technology

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Che-Wei; Huang, Yu-Jie; Lu, Shey-Shi; Lin, Chih-Ting

2012-01-01

A fully integrated humidity sensor chip was designed, implemented, and tested. Utilizing the micro-stamping technology, the pseudo-3D sensor system-on-chip (SSoC) architecture can be implemented by stacking sensing materials directly on the top of a CMOS-fabricated chip. The fabricated sensor system-on-chip (2.28 mm × 2.48 mm) integrated a humidity sensor, an interface circuit, a digital controller, and an On-Off Keying (OOK) wireless transceiver. With low power consumption, i.e., 750 μW without RF operation, the sensitivity of developed sensor chip was experimentally verified in the relative humidity (RH) range from 32% to 60%. The response time of the chip was also experimentally verified to be within 5 seconds from RH 36% to RH 64%. As a consequence, the implemented humidity SSoC paves the way toward the an ultra-small sensor system for various applications.

Frugivorous bats maintain functional habitat connectivity in agricultural landscapes but rely strongly on natural forest fragments.

Science.gov (United States)

Ripperger, Simon P; Kalko, Elisabeth K V; Rodríguez-Herrera, Bernal; Mayer, Frieder; Tschapka, Marco

2015-01-01

Anthropogenic changes in land use threaten biodiversity and ecosystem functioning by the conversion of natural habitat into agricultural mosaic landscapes, often with drastic consequences for the associated fauna. The first step in the development of efficient conservation plans is to understand movement of animals through complex habitat mosaics. Therefore, we studied ranging behavior and habitat use in Dermanura watsoni (Phyllostomidae), a frugivorous bat species that is a valuable seed disperser in degraded ecosystems. Radio-tracking of sixteen bats showed that the animals strongly rely on natural forest. Day roosts were exclusively located within mature forest fragments. Selection ratios showed that the bats foraged selectively within the available habitat and positively selected natural forest. However, larger daily ranges were associated with higher use of degraded habitats. Home range geometry and composition of focal foraging areas indicated that wider ranging bats performed directional foraging bouts from natural to degraded forest sites traversing the matrix over distances of up to three hundred meters. This behavior demonstrates the potential of frugivorous bats to functionally connect fragmented areas by providing ecosystem services between natural and degraded sites, and highlights the need for conservation of natural habitat patches within agricultural landscapes that meet the roosting requirements of bats.

Does brain creatine content rely on exogenous creatine in healthy youth? A proof-of-principle study.

Science.gov (United States)

Merege-Filho, Carlos Alberto Abujabra; Otaduy, Maria Concepción Garcia; de Sá-Pinto, Ana Lúcia; de Oliveira, Maira Okada; de Souza Gonçalves, Lívia; Hayashi, Ana Paula Tanaka; Roschel, Hamilton; Pereira, Rosa Maria Rodrigues; Silva, Clovis Artur; Brucki, Sonia Maria Dozzi; da Costa Leite, Claudia; Gualano, Bruno

2017-02-01

It has been hypothesized that dietary creatine could influence cognitive performance by increasing brain creatine in developing individuals. This double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, proof-of-principle study aimed to investigate the effects of creatine supplementation on cognitive function and brain creatine content in healthy youth. The sample comprised 67 healthy participants aged 10 to 12 years. The participants were given creatine or placebo supplementation for 7 days. At baseline and after the intervention, participants undertook a battery of cognitive tests. In a random subsample of participants, brain creatine content was also assessed in the regions of left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, left hippocampus, and occipital lobe by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) technique. The scores obtained from verbal learning and executive functions tests did not significantly differ between groups at baseline or after the intervention (all p > 0.05). Creatine content was not significantly different between groups in left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, left hippocampus, and occipital lobe (all p > 0.05). In conclusion, a 7-day creatine supplementation protocol did not elicit improvements in brain creatine content or cognitive performance in healthy youth, suggesting that this population mainly relies on brain creatine synthesis rather than exogenous creatine intake to maintain brain creatine homeostasis.

Frugivorous bats maintain functional habitat connectivity in agricultural landscapes but rely strongly on natural forest fragments.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simon P Ripperger

Full Text Available Anthropogenic changes in land use threaten biodiversity and ecosystem functioning by the conversion of natural habitat into agricultural mosaic landscapes, often with drastic consequences for the associated fauna. The first step in the development of efficient conservation plans is to understand movement of animals through complex habitat mosaics. Therefore, we studied ranging behavior and habitat use in Dermanura watsoni (Phyllostomidae, a frugivorous bat species that is a valuable seed disperser in degraded ecosystems. Radio-tracking of sixteen bats showed that the animals strongly rely on natural forest. Day roosts were exclusively located within mature forest fragments. Selection ratios showed that the bats foraged selectively within the available habitat and positively selected natural forest. However, larger daily ranges were associated with higher use of degraded habitats. Home range geometry and composition of focal foraging areas indicated that wider ranging bats performed directional foraging bouts from natural to degraded forest sites traversing the matrix over distances of up to three hundred meters. This behavior demonstrates the potential of frugivorous bats to functionally connect fragmented areas by providing ecosystem services between natural and degraded sites, and highlights the need for conservation of natural habitat patches within agricultural landscapes that meet the roosting requirements of bats.

Summary of the 2010 AHPBA/SSO/SSAT Consensus Conference on HCC

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gitonga Munene

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Under the auspices of the American Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association, an expert consensus conference was convened in January 2010 on the multidisciplinary management of hepatocellular carcinoma. The goals of the conference were to address knowledge gaps in the optimal preparation of patients with HCC for operative therapy, best methods to control HCC while awaiting liver transplantation, and developing a multidisciplinary approach to these patients with implementation of novel systemic therapies.

Exploring the JIMP Concept: Literature Review (Examen du Concept IIMP: Analyse Documentaire)

Science.gov (United States)

2010-02-01

Leadership (pp. 95-106). Kingston: Canadian Defence Academy Press. Manley , J.; Burney, D.H.; Epp, J.; Tellier, P. & Wallin, P. (2008) Independent Panel...Academy, Directorate of Learning and Innovation 3705-2 (SSO LL ). Slobodian, L. (2005). Looking after your people: A very public demonstration of

STRUCTURAL CAPABILITIES OF NO-DIG MANHOLE REHABILITATION (WE&RF Report INFR1R12)

Science.gov (United States)

Failure of a manhole may have catastrophic consequences such as a sinkhole. At a minimum, wastewater flow will be blocked and flow upstream of the manhole will backup, causing a sanitary sewer overflow (SSO). Accordingly, the structural condition of a manhole is an important perf...

Adenine phosphoribosyltransferase from Sulfolobus solfataricus is an enzyme with unusual kinetic properties and a crystal structure that suggests it evolved from a 6-oxopurine phosphoribosyltransferase

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Kaj Frank; Hansen, Michael Riis; Jensen, Kristine Steen

2015-01-01

The adenine phosphoribosyltransferase (APRTase) encoded by the open reading frame SSO2342 of Sulfolobus solfataricus P2, was subjected to crystallographic, kinetic and ligand binding analyses. The enzyme forms dimers in solution and in the crystals, and binds one molecule of the reactants 5...

Disagreement between splenic switch-off and myocardial T1-mapping after caffeine intake

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kuijpers, Dirkjan; van Dijk, Randy; van Assen, Marly; Kaandorp, Theodorus A M; van Dijkman, Paul R M; Vliegenthart, Rozemarijn; van der Harst, Pim; Oudkerk, Matthijs

Caffeine is an adenosine receptor antagonist and a possible cause of inadequate stress perfusion. Splenic switch-off (SSO) and splenic rest-stress T1-mapping have been proposed as indicators of stress adequacy during perfusion cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). We compared myocardial rest-stress

Symmetric Encryption Relying on Chaotic Henon System for Secure Hardware-Friendly Wireless Communication of Implantable Medical Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Taha Belkhouja

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Healthcare remote devices are recognized as a promising technology for treating health related issues. Among them are the wireless Implantable Medical Devices (IMDs: These electronic devices are manufactured to treat, monitor, support or replace defected vital organs while being implanted in the human body. Thus, they play a critical role in healing and even saving lives. Current IMDs research trends concentrate on their medical reliability. However, deploying wireless technology in such applications without considering security measures may offer adversaries an easy way to compromise them. With the aim to secure these devices, we explore a new scheme that creates symmetric encryption keys to encrypt the wireless communication portion. We will rely on chaotic systems to obtain a synchronized Pseudo-Random key. The latter will be generated separately in the system in such a way that avoids a wireless key exchange, thus protecting patients from the key theft. Once the key is defined, a simple encryption system that we propose in this paper will be used. We analyze the performance of this system from a cryptographic point of view to ensure that it offers a better safety and protection for patients.

The perception of (naked only) bodies and faceless heads relies on holistic processing: Evidence from the inversion effect.

Science.gov (United States)

Bonemei, Rob; Costantino, Andrea I; Battistel, Ilenia; Rivolta, Davide

2018-05-01

Faces and bodies are more difficult to perceive when presented inverted than when presented upright (i.e., stimulus inversion effect), an effect that has been attributed to the disruption of holistic processing. The features that can trigger holistic processing in faces and bodies, however, still remain elusive. In this study, using a sequential matching task, we tested whether stimulus inversion affects various categories of visual stimuli: faces, faceless heads, faceless heads in body context, headless bodies naked, whole bodies naked, headless bodies clothed, and whole bodies clothed. Both accuracy and inversion efficiency score results show inversion effects for all categories but for clothed bodies (with and without heads). In addition, the magnitude of the inversion effect for face, naked body, and faceless heads was similar. Our findings demonstrate that the perception of faces, faceless heads, and naked bodies relies on holistic processing. Clothed bodies (with and without heads), on the other side, may trigger clothes-sensitive rather than body-sensitive perceptual mechanisms. © 2017 The British Psychological Society.

De Sepulcro Laurentii Vallae quid veri habeat : Tracing the Tomb Monument of Lorenzo Valla in St. John Lateran, Rome

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Jong, Johannes

2014-01-01

Zusammenfassung: In diesem Artikel wird die Geschichte des Grabmals von Lorenzo Valla (ca. 1407–1457) nachgezeichnet: Der Sarkophag und die Skulptur des liegenden Mannes in der Cappella del Crocifi sso der Kirche San Giovanni in Laterano (Rom) werden im Allgemeinen als das Grabmal Vallas angesehen.

Corrigendum - Intraocular pressure changes following the use of silicone oil or Densiron 68 as endotamponade in pars plana vitrectomy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Romano MR

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Romano MR, Angi M, Romano V, et alA word was omitted from the conclusion of the Abstract. The correct version is as follows:Conclusion: Overall, the use of Densiron 68 was not associated with significantly higher IOP values as compared with SSO.

Evaluating the performance of selective-bred lines of eastern oysters, Crassostrea virginica, at different locations along the east coast of the United States

Science.gov (United States)

Populations of the economically important eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica have been severely affected in the last few decades by diseases such as Dermo, MSX, SSO, and ROD. As the demand for a fast-growing, disease-resistant oyster increases, so has the need for effective breeding programs that...

Design of optimised backstepping controller for the synchronisation

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

In this paper, an adaptive backstepping controller has been tuned to synchronise two chaotic Colpitts oscillators in a master–slave configuration. The parameters of the controller are determined using shark smell optimisation (SSO) algorithm. Numerical results are presented and compared with those of particle swarm ...

Trusted computing strengthens cloud authentication.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghazizadeh, Eghbal; Zamani, Mazdak; Ab Manan, Jamalul-lail; Alizadeh, Mojtaba

2014-01-01

Cloud computing is a new generation of technology which is designed to provide the commercial necessities, solve the IT management issues, and run the appropriate applications. Another entry on the list of cloud functions which has been handled internally is Identity Access Management (IAM). Companies encounter IAM as security challenges while adopting more technologies became apparent. Trust Multi-tenancy and trusted computing based on a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) are great technologies for solving the trust and security concerns in the cloud identity environment. Single sign-on (SSO) and OpenID have been released to solve security and privacy problems for cloud identity. This paper proposes the use of trusted computing, Federated Identity Management, and OpenID Web SSO to solve identity theft in the cloud. Besides, this proposed model has been simulated in .Net environment. Security analyzing, simulation, and BLP confidential model are three ways to evaluate and analyze our proposed model.

Optimal placement of capacito

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. Gnanasekaran

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Optimal size and location of shunt capacitors in the distribution system plays a significant role in minimizing the energy loss and the cost of reactive power compensation. This paper presents a new efficient technique to find optimal size and location of shunt capacitors with the objective of minimizing cost due to energy loss and reactive power compensation of distribution system. A new Shark Smell Optimization (SSO algorithm is proposed to solve the optimal capacitor placement problem satisfying the operating constraints. The SSO algorithm is a recently developed metaheuristic optimization algorithm conceptualized using the shark’s hunting ability. It uses a momentum incorporated gradient search and a rotational movement based local search for optimization. To demonstrate the applicability of proposed method, it is tested on IEEE 34-bus and 118-bus radial distribution systems. The simulation results obtained are compared with previous methods reported in the literature and found to be encouraging.

A comparison of two different techniques for deriving the quiet day curve from SARINET riometer data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Moro

2012-08-01

Full Text Available In this work, an upgrade of the technique for estimating the Quiet Day Curve (QDC as proposed by Tanaka et al. (2007 is suggested. To validate our approach, the QDC is estimated from data acquired by the Imaging Riometer for Ionospheric Studies (IRIS installed at the Southern Space Observatory (SSO/CRS/CCR/INPE – MCT, 29°4´ S, 53°8´ W, 480 m a.s.l., São Martinho da Serra – Brazil. The evaluation was performed by comparing the difference between the QDCs derived using our upgrade technique with the one proposed by Tanaka et al. (2007. The results are discussed in terms of the seasonal variability and the level of magnetic disturbance. Also, the cosmic noise absorption (CNA images for IRIS data operated at SSO was built using both the techniques aiming to check the implications of the changes in the methods of QDC determination on the CNA that resulted from it.

Trusted Computing Strengthens Cloud Authentication

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eghbal Ghazizadeh

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Cloud computing is a new generation of technology which is designed to provide the commercial necessities, solve the IT management issues, and run the appropriate applications. Another entry on the list of cloud functions which has been handled internally is Identity Access Management (IAM. Companies encounter IAM as security challenges while adopting more technologies became apparent. Trust Multi-tenancy and trusted computing based on a Trusted Platform Module (TPM are great technologies for solving the trust and security concerns in the cloud identity environment. Single sign-on (SSO and OpenID have been released to solve security and privacy problems for cloud identity. This paper proposes the use of trusted computing, Federated Identity Management, and OpenID Web SSO to solve identity theft in the cloud. Besides, this proposed model has been simulated in .Net environment. Security analyzing, simulation, and BLP confidential model are three ways to evaluate and analyze our proposed model.

Simplified Swarm Optimization-Based Function Module Detection in Protein–Protein Interaction Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xianghan Zheng

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Proteomics research has become one of the most important topics in the field of life science and natural science. At present, research on protein–protein interaction networks (PPIN mainly focuses on detecting protein complexes or function modules. However, existing approaches are either ineffective or incomplete. In this paper, we investigate detection mechanisms of functional modules in PPIN, including open database, existing detection algorithms, and recent solutions. After that, we describe the proposed approach based on the simplified swarm optimization (SSO algorithm and the knowledge of Gene Ontology (GO. The proposed solution implements the SSO algorithm for clustering proteins with similar function, and imports biological gene ontology knowledge for further identifying function complexes and improving detection accuracy. Furthermore, we use four different categories of species datasets for experiment: fruitfly, mouse, scere, and human. The testing and analysis result show that the proposed solution is feasible, efficient, and could achieve a higher accuracy of prediction than existing approaches.

A Fully Integrated Humidity Sensor System-on-Chip Fabricated by Micro-Stamping Technology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chih-Ting Lin

2012-08-01

Full Text Available A fully integrated humidity sensor chip was designed, implemented, and tested. Utilizing the micro-stamping technology, the pseudo-3D sensor system-on-chip (SSoC architecture can be implemented by stacking sensing materials directly on the top of a CMOS-fabricated chip. The fabricated sensor system-on-chip (2.28 mm × 2.48 mm integrated a humidity sensor, an interface circuit, a digital controller, and an On-Off Keying (OOK wireless transceiver. With low power consumption, i.e., 750 μW without RF operation, the sensitivity of developed sensor chip was experimentally verified in the relative humidity (RH range from 32% to 60%. The response time of the chip was also experimentally verified to be within 5 seconds from RH 36% to RH 64%. As a consequence, the implemented humidity SSoC paves the way toward the an ultra-small sensor system for various applications.

Trusted Computing Strengthens Cloud Authentication

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Cloud computing is a new generation of technology which is designed to provide the commercial necessities, solve the IT management issues, and run the appropriate applications. Another entry on the list of cloud functions which has been handled internally is Identity Access Management (IAM). Companies encounter IAM as security challenges while adopting more technologies became apparent. Trust Multi-tenancy and trusted computing based on a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) are great technologies for solving the trust and security concerns in the cloud identity environment. Single sign-on (SSO) and OpenID have been released to solve security and privacy problems for cloud identity. This paper proposes the use of trusted computing, Federated Identity Management, and OpenID Web SSO to solve identity theft in the cloud. Besides, this proposed model has been simulated in .Net environment. Security analyzing, simulation, and BLP confidential model are three ways to evaluate and analyze our proposed model. PMID:24701149

Efficacy and safety of dabigatran compared with warfarin at different levels of international normalised ratio control for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation: an analysis of the RE-LY trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Wallentin, Lars; Yusuf, Salim; Ezekowitz, Michael D; Alings, Marco; Flather, Marcus; Franzosi, Maria Grazia; Pais, Prem; Dans, Antonio; Eikelboom, John; Oldgren, Jonas; Pogue, Janice; Reilly, Paul A; Yang, Sean; Connolly, Stuart J

2010-09-18

Effectiveness and safety of warfarin is associated with the time in therapeutic range (TTR) with an international normalised ratio (INR) of 2·0-3·0. In the Randomised Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy (RE-LY) trial, dabigatran versus warfarin reduced both stroke and haemorrhage. We aimed to investigate the primary and secondary outcomes of the RE-LY trial in relation to each centre's mean TTR (cTTR) in the warfarin population. In the RE-LY trial, 18 113 patients at 951 sites were randomly assigned to 110 mg or 150 mg dabigatran twice daily versus warfarin dose adjusted to INR 2·0-3·0. Median follow-up was 2·0 years. For 18 024 patients at 906 sites, the cTTR was estimated by averaging TTR for individual warfarin-treated patients calculated by the Rosendaal method. We compared the outcomes of RE-LY across the three treatment groups within four groups defined by the quartiles of cTTR. RE-LY is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00262600. The quartiles of cTTR for patients in the warfarin group were: less than 57·1%, 57·1-65·5%, 65·5-72·6%, and greater than 72·6%. There were no significant interactions between cTTR and prevention of stroke and systemic embolism with either 110 mg dabigatran (interaction p=0·89) or 150 mg dabigatran (interaction p=0·20) versus warfarin. Neither were any significant interactions recorded with cTTR with regards to intracranial bleeding with 110 mg dabigatran (interaction p=0·71) or 150 mg dabigatran (interaction p=0·89) versus warfarin. There was a significant interaction between cTTR and major bleeding when comparing 150 mg dabigatran with warfarin (interaction p=0·03), with less bleeding events at lower cTTR but similar events at higher cTTR, whereas rates of major bleeding were lower with 110 mg dabigatran than with warfarin irrespective of cTTR. There were significant interactions between cTTR and effects of both 110 mg and 150 mg dabigatran versus warfarin on the composite of all

Stability of traditionally processed vegetable oils and their blends ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The objective of the study was to investigate the stability of traditionally processed palm oil (PO), sunflower oil (SO) and sesame oil (SSO) and their blends as function of storage conditions by analysing their physicochemical properties which included acid value, saponification value, peroxide value, iodine value and ...

COMPUTER MODEL ANALYSIS FOR MITIGATION PLANNING OF SANITARY-SEWER OVERFLOWS

Science.gov (United States)

Sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) are generally difficult to witness or document as they usually occur during rain events when people are indoors or out of sight. To anser where and when an SSO may occur, it is necessary to know the flow conveyance capacity at various parts of the ...

Blocking of an intronic splicing silencer completely rescues IKBKAP exon 20 splicing in familial dysautonomia patient cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bruun, Gitte H; Bang, Jeanne Mv; Christensen, Lise L

2018-01-01

designed splice switching oligonucleotides (SSO) that blocks the intronic hnRNP A1 binding site, and demonstrate that this completely rescues splicing of IKBKAP exon 20 in FD patient fibroblasts and increases the amounts of IKAP protein. We propose that this may be developed into a potential new specific...

Characterization of a small erythromycin resistance plasmid pLFE1 from the food-isolate Lactobacillus plantarum M345

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Feld, Louise; Bielak, Eliza; Hammer, Karin

2009-01-01

found. A putative replication initiation site including a single-strand origin (sso) -like region succeeded by a characteristic pMV158 family double-strand origin (dso) was located upstream of the replication region. An open reading frame following a typical origin of transfer (oriT) site and coding...

75 FR 30395 - Stakeholder Input; National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit Requirements...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-06-01

... peak flow as part of an SSO rulemaking to allow for a holistic and integrated approach to reducing SSOs... Charles Glass, EPA Headquarters, Office of Water, Office of Wastewater Management at tel.: 202-564-0418 or... principles with the following suggested NPDES permit requirements: (1) Capacity, management, operation and...

Energetic solutions of Rock Sandpipers to harsh winter conditions rely on prey quality

Science.gov (United States)

Ruthrauff, Daniel R.; Dekinga, Anne; Gill, Robert E.; Piersma, Theunis

2018-01-01

Rock Sandpipers Calidris ptilocnemis have the most northerly non-breeding distribution of any shorebird in the Pacific Basin (upper Cook Inlet, Alaska; 61°N, 151°W). In terms of freezing temperatures, persistent winds and pervasive ice, this site is the harshest used by shorebirds during winter. We integrated physiological, metabolic, behavioural and environmental aspects of the non-breeding ecology of Rock Sandpipers at the northern extent of their range to determine the relative importance of these factors in facilitating their unique non-breeding ecology. Not surprisingly, estimated daily energetic demands were greatest during January, the coldest period of winter. These estimates were greatest for foraging birds, and exceeded basal metabolic rates by a factor of 6.5, a scope of increase that approaches the maximum sustained rate of energetic output by shorebirds during periods of migration, but far exceeds these periods in duration. We assessed the quality of their primary prey, the bivalve Macoma balthica, to determine the daily foraging duration required by Rock Sandpipers to satisfy such energetic demands. Based on size-specific estimates of M. balthica quality, Rock Sandpipers require over 13 h/day of foraging time in upper Cook Inlet in January, even when feeding on the highest quality prey. This range approaches the average daily duration of mudflat availability in this region (c. 18 h), a maximum value that annually decreases due to the accumulation of shore-fast ice. Rock Sandpipers are likely to maximize access to foraging sites by following the exposure of ice-free mudflats across the upper Cook Inlet region and by selecting smaller, higher quality M. balthica to minimize foraging times. Ultimately, this unusual non-breeding ecology relies on the high quality of their prey resources. Compared with other sites across their range, M. balthica from upper Cook Inlet have relatively light shells, potentially the result of the region

Mutational analysis of an archaeal minichromosome maintenance protein exterior hairpin reveals critical residues for helicase activity and DNA binding

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brewster Aaron S

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The mini-chromosome maintenance protein (MCM complex is an essential replicative helicase for DNA replication in Archaea and Eukaryotes. While the eukaryotic complex consists of six homologous proteins (MCM2-7, the archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus has only one MCM protein (ssoMCM, six subunits of which form a homohexamer. We have recently reported a 4.35Å crystal structure of the near full-length ssoMCM. The structure reveals a total of four β-hairpins per subunit, three of which are located within the main channel or side channels of the ssoMCM hexamer model generated based on the symmetry of the N-terminal Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus (mtMCM structure. The fourth β-hairpin, however, is located on the exterior of the hexamer, near the exit of the putative side channels and next to the ATP binding pocket. Results In order to better understand this hairpin's role in DNA binding and helicase activity, we performed a detailed mutational and biochemical analysis of nine residues on this exterior β-hairpin (EXT-hp. We examined the activities of the mutants related to their helicase function, including hexamerization, ATPase, DNA binding and helicase activities. The assays showed that some of the residues on this EXT-hp play a role for DNA binding as well as for helicase activity. Conclusions These results implicate several current theories regarding helicase activity by this critical hexameric enzyme. As the data suggest that EXT-hp is involved in DNA binding, the results reported here imply that the EXT-hp located near the exterior exit of the side channels may play a role in contacting DNA substrate in a manner that affects DNA unwinding.

Quality of record linkage in a highly automated cancer registry that relies on encrypted identity data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Schmidtmann, Irene

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Objectives: In the absence of unique ID numbers, cancer and other registries in Germany and elsewhere rely on identity data to link records pertaining to the same patient. These data are often encrypted to ensure privacy. Some record linkage errors unavoidably occur. These errors were quantified for the cancer registry of North Rhine Westphalia which uses encrypted identity data. Methods: A sample of records was drawn from the registry, record linkage information was included. In parallel, plain text data for these records were retrieved to generate a gold standard. Record linkage error frequencies in the cancer registry were determined by comparison of the results of the routine linkage with the gold standard. Error rates were projected to larger registries.Results: In the sample studied, the homonym error rate was 0.015%; the synonym error rate was 0.2%. The F-measure was 0.9921. Projection to larger databases indicated that for a realistic development the homonym error rate will be around 1%, the synonym error rate around 2%.Conclusion: Observed error rates are low. This shows that effective methods to standardize and improve the quality of the input data have been implemented. This is crucial to keep error rates low when the registry’s database grows. The planned inclusion of unique health insurance numbers is likely to further improve record linkage quality. Cancer registration entirely based on electronic notification of records can process large amounts of data with high quality of record linkage.

Radio quite site qualification for the Brasilian Southern Space Observatory by monitoring the low frequency 10-240 MHz Eletromagnetic Spectrum

Science.gov (United States)

da Rosa, Guilherme Simon; Schuch, Nelson Jorge; Espindola Antunes, Cassio; Gomes, Natanael

The monitoring of the level of the radio interference in the Site of the Brazilian Southern Space Observatory - SSO/CRS/CIE/INPE - MCT, (29S, 53W), São Martinho da Serra, RS, in south a of Brazil, aims to gather spectral data for the Observatory's Site qualification as a radio quite site for installation of Radio Astronomy instrumentation, free of radio noise. The determination of the radio interference level is being conducted by using a spectrum analyzer and Omni directional antennas remotely controlled through a GPIB interface, via IEEE 488 bus, and programs written in C language. That procedure allows the scanning of the Electromagnetic Spectrum power over the examined frequency range from 10 - 240MHz. The methodology for these tests was to amplify the radio signal from the antenna by a block amplifier. Subsequently, the received signals are evaluated by the spectrum analyzer. A dedicated PC computer is used for the control and data acquisition, with the developed software. The data are instantly stored in digital format and remotely transferred via VNC software from the SSO-Observatory Site to the Radio Frequency and Telecommunication Laboratory at the Southern Regional Space Research Center - CRS/CIE/INPE - MCT, in Santa Maria, RS, for analysis and storage on the radio interference data base for long period. It is compared the SSO's Electromagnetic Spectrum data obtained since the beginning of the 1990's decade, before the Site constructions, with the current observed data. Some radio transmissions were found in the observed frequency range due to some local FMs, mostly between 93.5 MHz to 105.7 MHz, which were observed in previous monitoring. A good evidence of the site quality is the fact that the power of the Electromagnetic Spectrum is much lower than that measured at the Radio Frequency and Telecommunication Laboratory, in Santa Maria, RS, where the signals do not exceed -60 dB. On the Site of the SSO, due to the low power observed, weak radio signals

VizieR Online Data Catalog: KiDS Survey for solar system objects mining (Mahlke+, 2018)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mahlke, M.; Bouy, H.; Altieri, B.; Verdoes Kleijn, G.; Carry, B.; Bertin, E.; de Jong, J. T. A.; Kuijken, K.; McFarland, J.; Valentijn, E.

2018-01-01

Provided are the observations of the 28,290 SSO candidates recovered from the KiDS survey. The candidates are split up into two subsamples; the first contains 20,221 candidates with an estimated false-positive content of less than 0.05%. The second sample contains 8,069 candidates with only three

Tweet for the cure: A snapshot of Twitter usage by 3 U.S. oncologic professional societies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sachin R. Jhawar, MD

2017-07-01

Conclusion: ASTRO's use of Twitter lags behind ASCO and SSO. Although all 3 societies show increased Twitter use during their annual meetings, they should work toward more meaningful engagement throughout the year. The new metrics of tweet density and supporter ratio will serve as benchmarks for member engagement in future studies.

Modelling phosphorus (P), sulfur (S) and iron (Fe) interactions for dynamic simulations of anaerobic digestion processes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Flores Alsina, Xavier; Solon, Kimberly; Kazadi Mbamba, Christian

2016-01-01

(SSO4) reduction by XSRB and storage of XPHA by XPAO; and, (2) decrease of acetoclastic and hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis due to ZH2S inhibition. Model A3 shows the potential for iron to remove free SIS (and consequently inhibition) and instead promote iron sulfide (XFeS) precipitation. It also...

76 FR 53713 - Notice of Request for the Extension of a Currently Approved Information Collection

Science.gov (United States)

2011-08-29

... to designate a State Safety Oversight (SSO) agency to oversee the safety and security of each rail... security oversight activities. FTA uses the annual information submitted by the States to monitor implementation of the program. If a State fails to comply with Section 5330, FTA may withhold up to five percent...

Object Categorization in Finer Levels Relies More on Higher Spatial Frequencies and Takes Longer.

Science.gov (United States)

Ashtiani, Matin N; Kheradpisheh, Saeed R; Masquelier, Timothée; Ganjtabesh, Mohammad

2017-01-01

The human visual system contains a hierarchical sequence of modules that take part in visual perception at different levels of abstraction, i.e., superordinate, basic, and subordinate levels. One important question is to identify the "entry" level at which the visual representation is commenced in the process of object recognition. For a long time, it was believed that the basic level had a temporal advantage over two others. This claim has been challenged recently. Here we used a series of psychophysics experiments, based on a rapid presentation paradigm, as well as two computational models, with bandpass filtered images of five object classes to study the processing order of the categorization levels. In these experiments, we investigated the type of visual information required for categorizing objects in each level by varying the spatial frequency bands of the input image. The results of our psychophysics experiments and computational models are consistent. They indicate that the different spatial frequency information had different effects on object categorization in each level. In the absence of high frequency information, subordinate and basic level categorization are performed less accurately, while the superordinate level is performed well. This means that low frequency information is sufficient for superordinate level, but not for the basic and subordinate levels. These finer levels rely more on high frequency information, which appears to take longer to be processed, leading to longer reaction times. Finally, to avoid the ceiling effect, we evaluated the robustness of the results by adding different amounts of noise to the input images and repeating the experiments. As expected, the categorization accuracy decreased and the reaction time increased significantly, but the trends were the same. This shows that our results are not due to a ceiling effect. The compatibility between our psychophysical and computational results suggests that the temporal

Security flows in OAuth 2.0 framework: A case study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Argyriou, Marios; Dragoni, Nicola; Spognardi, Angelo

2017-01-01

struggle to maintain distinct accounts for every single service that they use. The solution to this problem is the use of a Single Sign On (SSO) framework, with a unified single account to authenticate user’s identity throughout the different services. In April 2007, AOL introduced OpenAuth framework...

Lessons learned after one year in space for the AAUSAT3 satellite

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Jesper Abildgaard; Mortensen, Hans Peter; Jessen, Troels

2014-01-01

The AAUSAT3 satellite is a 1U cubesat, which has been developed by students at Aalborg University, Denmark in collaboration with the Danish Maritime Authority. The satellite was launched into a polar DD-SSO orbit of 800 km altitude on February 25th 2013 on a mission to monitor ships from space...

Lying relies on the truth

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Debey, E.; De Houwer, J.; Verschuere, B.

2014-01-01

Cognitive models of deception focus on the conflict-inducing nature of the truth activation during lying. Here we tested the counterintuitive hypothesis that the truth can also serve a functional role in the act of lying. More specifically, we examined whether the construction of a lie can involve a

Sociological investigation Students of Universities' Social-Political Trust in Iran: relying on secondary analysis of some national surveys

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sayed Mahdi Etemadifard

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Social system based on mutual trust among members continues to exist. Social trust in modem era is more important than earlier periods. Subject of current report is focused on the trust of Iranian students in different aspects. Main question in this investigation is about social-political trust of these students (based on trust in Islamic Republic of Iran at the past and present. This matter explored by secondary analysis of data, Relying on secondary analysis of some national surveys. Based on data and consequences of other researches we are going to illustrate the objective aspects of student's trust in current decades. The main sources for data collection at this stage include: All the public surveys conducted in the past four decades, the general data about students and their related assays. Trust students were evaluated on the following dimensions: trust in trade unions and various groups, trust in the clergy, directors of public trust and confidence in judges. Furthermore, the level of political engagement and participation in elections, satisfaction with economic situation, political situation and level of satisfaction with confidence in radio and television news. Reduction of public trust leads to reduced maximum student trust especially in the social and political dimensions.

The description-experience gap and its relation to instructional control: Do people rely more on their experience than in objective descriptions?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Álvaro Viúdez

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The present work aims to reveal contradictory results obtained on two different fields; particularly from two studies conducted on the description-experience gap field showing that descriptions are neglected when personal experience is available (1,2, and several others conducted on the instructional control field getting to the opposite conclusion (3–8. To account for this contradiction, we hypothesized that participants from the studies of Jessup, Bishara and Busemeyer (1 and Lejarraga and Gonzalez (2 relied on their experience rather than on the descriptions because of the difficult, demanding nature of the probabilistic descriptions they faced. Enriched descriptions were created in our experiment to assess the contribution of this factor to the differential influence of the descriptions in choice behavior. Nonetheless, our hypothesis did not find support in the results and further research is needed to account for the aforementioned contradiction.

Turmoil at Turrialba Volcano (Costa Rica): Degassing and eruptive processes inferred from high-frequency gas monitoring

Science.gov (United States)

de Moor, J. Maarten; Aiuppa, A.; Avard, G.; Wehrmann, H.; Dunbar, N.; Muller, C.; Tamburello, G.; Giudice, G.; Liuzzo, M.; Moretti, R.; Conde, V.; Galle, B.

2016-08-01

Eruptive activity at Turrialba Volcano (Costa Rica) has escalated significantly since 2014, causing airport and school closures in the capital city of San José. Whether or not new magma is involved in the current unrest seems probable but remains a matter of debate as ash deposits are dominated by hydrothermal material. Here we use high-frequency gas monitoring to track the behavior of the volcano between 2014 and 2015 and to decipher magmatic versus hydrothermal contributions to the eruptions. Pulses of deeply derived CO2-rich gas (CO2/Stotal > 4.5) precede explosive activity, providing a clear precursor to eruptive periods that occurs up to 2 weeks before eruptions, which are accompanied by shallowly derived sulfur-rich magmatic gas emissions. Degassing modeling suggests that the deep magmatic reservoir is 8-10 km deep, whereas the shallow magmatic gas source is at 3-5 km. Two cycles of degassing and eruption are observed, each attributed to pulses of magma ascending through the deep reservoir to shallow crustal levels. The magmatic degassing signals were overprinted by a fluid contribution from the shallow hydrothermal system, modifying the gas compositions, contributing volatiles to the emissions, and reflecting complex processes of scrubbing, displacement, and volatilization. H2S/SO2 varies over 2 orders of magnitude through the monitoring period and demonstrates that the first eruptive episode involved hydrothermal gases, whereas the second did not. Massive degassing (>3000 T/d SO2 and H2S/SO2 > 1) followed, suggesting boiling off of the hydrothermal system. The gas emissions show a remarkable shift to purely magmatic composition (H2S/SO2 < 0.05) during the second eruptive period, reflecting the depletion of the hydrothermal system or the establishment of high-temperature conduits bypassing remnant hydrothermal reservoirs, and the transition from phreatic to phreatomagmatic eruptive activity.

CERN Summer Student Report

CERN Document Server

Storo Nyflott, Martin

2016-01-01

This report discusses several projects, involving integration of GitHub and Jenkins through SSO, standardization of CMake find-modules, automation of lcgcmake dependency updates, implementation of Jenkins email-templates, and setting up compilation of Fedora using Docker on Travis. Each project is discussed individually, while the time-phase among each project may overlap each other.

Analysis of received AIS data from a LEO Cubesat

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Jesper Abildgaard; Mortensen, Hans Peter; Tausen, Mathias

2014-01-01

The AAUSAT3 satellite is a 1U cubesat, which has been developed by students at Aalborg Uni- versity, Denmark in collaboration with the Danish Maritime Authority. The satellite was launched into a polar DD-SSO orbit of 800 km altitude on February 25th 2013 on a mission to monitor ships from space...

Vidyo@CERN: A Service Update

CERN Document Server

Fernandes, J

2015-01-01

We will present an overview of the current real-time video service offering for the LHC, in particular the operation of the CERN Vidyo service will be described in terms of consolidated performance and scale: The service is an increasingly critical part of the daily activity of the LHC collaborations, topping recently more than 50 million minutes of communication in one year, with peaks of up to 852 simultaneous connections. We will elaborate on the improvement of some front-end key features such as the integration with CERN Indico, or the enhancements of the Unified Client and also on new ones, released or in the pipeline, such as a new WebRTC client and CERN SSO/Federated SSO integration. An overview of future infrastructure improvements, such as virtualization techniques of Vidyo routers and geo-location mechanisms for load-balancing and optimum user distribution across the service infrastructure will also be discussed. The work done by CERN to improve the monitoring of its Vidyo network will also be prese...

Site safety plan for Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory CERCLA investigations at site 300. Revision 2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kilmer, J.

1997-08-01

Various Department of Energy Orders incorporate by reference, health and safety regulations promulgated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). One of the OSHA regulations, 29 CFR 1910.120, Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response, requires that site safety plans are written for activities such as those covered by work plans for Site 300 environmental investigations. Based upon available data, this Site Safety Plan (Plan) for environmental restoration has been prepared specifically for the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Site 300, located approximately 15 miles east of Livermore, California. As additional facts, monitoring data, or analytical data on hazards are provided, this Plan may need to be modified. It is the responsibility of the Environmental Restoration Program and Division (ERD) Site Safety Officer (SSO), with the assistance of Hazards Control, to evaluate data which may impact health and safety during these activities and to modify the Plan as appropriate. This Plan is not `cast-in-concrete.` The SSO shall have the authority, with the concurrence of Hazards Control, to institute any change to maintain health and safety protection for workers at Site 300.

Involvement of CD36 in Modulating the Decrease of NPY and AgRP Induced by Acute Palmitic Acid Stimulation in N1E-115 Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yan Ma

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Central nervous system (CNS fatty acid sensing plays an important role in the regulation of food intake, and palmitic acid (PA is the most important long chain fatty acid (LCFA in the mammalian diet. To explore the effect of PA on central neuropeptide expression and the role of the cluster of the differentiation of 36 (CD36 in the process, N1E-115 cells were cultured with PA in the presence or absence of sulfosuccinimidyl-oleate (SSO, a CD36 inhibitor. Results showed that 10 μmol/L PA significantly reduced NPY and AgRP mRNA expression after 20 min of exposure, while the expression of CD36 was upregulated. The presence of SSO significantly attenuated the decrease of NPY and AgRP expression that was induced by PA alone, although no notable effect on PA- induced CD36 gene expression was observed. In conclusion, our study suggests the involvement of CD36 in the PA-induced decrease of NPY and AgRP in N1E-115 cells.

A review of recent studies on the mechanisms and analysis methods of sub-synchronous oscillation in wind farms

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chenggen; Zhou, Qian; Gao, Shuning; Luo, Jia; Diao, Junchao; Zhao, Haoran; Bu, Jing

2018-04-01

This paper reviews the recent studies of Sub-Synchronous Oscillation(SSO) in wind farms. Mechanisms and analysis methods are the main concerns of this article. A classification method including new types of oscillation occurred between wind farms and HVDC systems and oscillation caused by Permanent Magnet Synchronous Generators(PMSG) is proposed. Characteristics of oscillation analysis techniques are summarized.

CHARACTERIZATION OF SINGLE-STRAND ORIGINS OF CRYPTIC ROLLING-CIRCLE PLASMIDS FROM BACILLUS-SUBTILIS

NARCIS (Netherlands)

MEIJER, WJJ; VENEMA, G; BRON, S

1995-01-01

In this paper we describe the isolation and characterization of single strand origins (SSOs) of several cryptic Bacillus subtilis plasmids which use the rolling-circle mechanism of replication, The plasmids used in this study involved pTA1015, pTA1020, pTA1030, pTA1040, pTA1050 and pTA1060, The SSO

A Failed Experiment: Georgia's Tax Credit Scholarships for Private Schools. Special Summary

Science.gov (United States)

Southern Education Foundation, 2011

2011-01-01

Georgia is one of seven states that currently allow tax credits for scholarships to private schools. The law permits individual taxpayers in Georgia to reduce annual state taxes up to $2,500 for joint returns when they divert funds to a student scholarship organization (SSO). Georgia's law providing tax credits for private school tuition grants or…

Tetrathionate and Elemental Sulfur Shape the Isotope Composition of Sulfate in Acid Mine Drainage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nurgul Balci

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Sulfur compounds in intermediate valence states, for example elemental sulfur, thiosulfate, and tetrathionate, are important players in the biogeochemical sulfur cycle. However, key understanding about the pathways of oxidation involving mixed-valance state sulfur species is still missing. Here we report the sulfur and oxygen isotope fractionation effects during the oxidation of tetrathionate (S4O62− and elemental sulfur (S° to sulfate in bacterial cultures in acidic conditions. Oxidation of tetrathionate by Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans produced thiosulfate, elemental sulfur and sulfate. Up to 34% of the tetrathionate consumed by the bacteria could not be accounted for in sulfate or other intermediate-valence state sulfur species over the experiments. The oxidation of tetrathionate yielded sulfate that was initially enriched in 34S (ε34SSO4−S4O6 by +7.9‰, followed by a decrease to +1.4‰ over the experiment duration, with an average ε34SSO4−S4O6 of +3.5 ± 0.2‰ after a month of incubation. We attribute this significant sulfur isotope fractionation to enzymatic disproportionation reactions occurring during tetrathionate decomposition, and to the incomplete transformation of tetrathionate into sulfate. The oxygen isotope composition of sulfate (δ18OSO4 from the tetrathionate oxidation experiments indicate that 62% of the oxygen in the formed sulfate was derived from water. The remaining 38% of the oxygen was either inherited from the supplied tetrathionate, or supplied from dissolved atmospheric oxygen (O2. During the oxidation of elemental sulfur, the product sulfate became depleted in 34S between −1.8 and 0‰ relative to the elemental sulfur with an average for ε34SSO4−S0 of −0.9 ± 0.2‰ and all the oxygen atoms in the sulfate derived from water with an average normal oxygen isotope fractionation (ε18OSO4−H2O of −4.4‰. The differences observed in δ18OSO4 and the sulfur isotope composition of sulfate (δ34SSO4

You can't rely on color, yet we all do 2.0 (Manuscript Only)

Science.gov (United States)

van Nes, Floris L.

2014-01-01

Everybody views and uses color from early childhood onwards. But this magnificent property of all objects around us turns out to be elusive if you try to specify it and communicate it to another person. Also, people often don't know what effects color may have under different conditions. However, color is so important and omnipresent, that people can hardly avoid to 'rely on it' - so they do, in particular on its predictability. Thus, there is a discrepancy between the seeming self-evidence of color and the difficulty in specifying it accurately, for the prevailing circumstances. In order to analyze this situation, and possibly remedy it, a short historic perspective of the utilization and specification of color is given. The 'utilization' includes the emotional effects of color, which are important in, for instance, interior decorating but also play a role in literature and religion. 'Specification' begins with the early efforts by scientists, philosophers and artists to bring some order and understanding in what was observed with and while using color. Color has a number of basic functions: embellishment; attracting attention; coding; and bringing order in text by causing text parts presented in the same color to be judged as belonging together. People with a profession that involves color choices for many others, such as designers and manufacturers of products, including electronic visual displays, should have a fairly thorough knowledge of colorimetry and color perception. Unfortunately, they often don't, simply because for 'practitioners' whose work involves different aspects, applying color being only one of those, the available tools for specifying and applying color turn out to be too difficult to use. Two consequences of an insufficient knowledge of the effects color may have are given here. The first of these consequences, on color blindness, relates to 8% of the population, but the second one, on reading colored text, bears on everyone. Practical

Comparing sulfur and oxygen isotope variability of sulfate in the Mississippi River during high and low discharge from 2009-2011

Science.gov (United States)

Killingsworth, B.; Kohl, I. E.; Bao, H.

2011-12-01

S and O isotope compositions of ocean and river sulfate, SO42-, reflect Earth surface processes and can thus be used to understand the Earth's dynamic past. It has been estimated that riverine SO42- is 22% evaporite (SO42-riv-evap), 11% oxidative weathering (SO42-riv-ow), and 54% atmospheric and agricultural pollution [1]. Two parameters are poorly constrained: 1) the ratio of SO42-riv-evap to SO42-riv-ow, and 2) the extent of human influence on SO42- flux. Furthermore, for isotopic modeling, natural riverine SO42- O and S isotope compositions, δ18OSO4-riv and δ34SSO4-riv, have large measured ranges (e.g. δ18OSO4-riv from -2% to +7% [2]) that are based on limited empirical data with variable and unconstrained influence from human activities. In the lower Mississippi River Basin (MRB) we have sampled river water SO42- biweekly since 2009. Our isotope dataset is used in conjunction with US Geological Survey and US Army Corps of Engineers SO42- concentration and river discharge data. In comparison to MRB low discharge periods, the periods of annual high water discharge are characterized by 1) a doubling in water discharge 2) a concomitant high MRB SO42- flux (>1100 kg/s) 3) an average SO42- concentration at 85% of the low discharge concentrations and 4) a more constrained variability of SO42- isotope composition. The δ18OSO4-riv ranges from +3.2% to +5.5% at high discharge and from +2.6% to +8.8% at low discharge. The δ34SSO4-riv ranges from -4.3% to -0.4 at high discharge and from -6.3% to -0.2% at low discharge. Atmospheric SO42- is estimated from 2009 National Atmospheric Deposition Program maps to contribute only ~10% of total MRB SO42-. We conclude that during annual high discharge a large river basin such as the MRB is less sensitive to variable sub-basin input and that average MRB SO42- isotope composition is best represented by a δ18OSO4-riv value of ~+4.0% and δ34SSO4-riv value of ~-3.0%. MRB SO42- concentration during high discharge is diluted less

JC Polyomavirus Infection Is Strongly Controlled by Human Leucocyte Antigen Class II Variants

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sundqvist, Emilie; Buck, Dorothea; Warnke, Clemens

2014-01-01

sequence-specific oligonucleotide (PCR-SSO) method. An initial GWAS screen displayed a strong HLA class II region signal. The HLA-DRB1*15 haplotype was strongly negatively associated to JCV sero-status in Scandinavian MS cases (OR = 0.42, p = 7×10(-15)) and controls (OR = 0.53, p = 2×10(-5)). In contrast...

Edwards AFB, California. Limited Surface Observations Climatic Summary (LISOCS). Parts A, C-F.

Science.gov (United States)

1984-12-01

ORp AND OR HAIL OBS WITH FOG AND OR SLOWING N RWTHOS OO STOR.S SNO W ADO IHOS OOPDRIZZLE DRIZZLE SLEET FRECIF HAZE SAND TO VISION Gas . S_...S--I- ___ IF L1 A--- - - - - -- TOTAL NUMIEI OP OSSEIVATIONSS T USAFETAC 0-8-5,0L-A, pivoos rO),O.$ Or tRIS porno ARE oSsoLE’S

Influence of computerized sounding out on spelling performance for children who do and do not rely on AAC.

Science.gov (United States)

McCarthy, Jillian H; Hogan, Tiffany P; Beukelman, David R; Schwarz, Ilsa E

2015-05-01

Spelling is an important skill for individuals who rely on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). The purpose of this study was to investigate how computerized sounding out influenced spelling accuracy of pseudo-words. Computerized sounding out was defined as a word elongated, thus providing an opportunity for a child to hear all the sounds in the word at a slower rate. Seven children with cerebral palsy, four who use AAC and three who do not, participated in a single subject AB design. The results of the study indicated that the use of computerized sounding out increased the phonologic accuracy of the pseudo-words produced by participants. The study provides preliminary evidence for the use of computerized sounding out during spelling tasks for children with cerebral palsy who do and do not use AAC. Future directions and clinical implications are discussed. We investigated how computerized sounding out influenced spelling accuracy of pseudowords for children with complex communication needs who did and did not use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Results indicated that the use of computerized sounding out increased the phonologic accuracy of the pseudo-words by participants, suggesting that computerized sounding out might assist in more accurate spelling for children who use AAC. Future research is needed to determine how language and reading abilities influence the use of computerized sounding out with children who have a range of speech intelligibility abilities and do and do not use AAC.

Influence of sunflower seed oil or baby lotion on the skin barrier function of newborns: A pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Kanti, Varvara; Günther, Malise; Stroux, Andrea; Sawatzky, Sabine; Henrich, Wolfgang; Abou-Dakn, Michael; Blume-Peytavi, Ulrike; Garcia Bartels, Natalie

2017-12-01

Skin care influences skin barrier function during the first postnatal weeks. Although the use of natural oils in preterms has been investigated, there are currently no data comparing the effect of sunflower oil to an emollient on barrier development in healthy term newborns. In a prospective, randomized clinical study, 50 healthy full-term newborns aged ≤72 h were randomly assigned to two groups: group baby lotion (L, n=22) and sunflower seed oil (SSO, n=24). The skin barrier function was evaluated in three anatomical areas (front, abdomen, and thigh) by noninvasive assessment of transepidermal water loss (TEWL), stratum corneum hydration (SCH), sebum, and skin pH at inclusion and after five weeks. In both groups, skin pH decreased and SCH increased statistically significantly in all measured areas at W5 compared to baseline. TEWL decreased statistically significantly on the forearm in both groups, on the upper leg in group L, and on the abdomen in group SSO. Both skin care regimes did not harm skin barrier function adaptation in healthy term neonates during the first five weeks of life. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Nevada National Security Site Environmental Report 2010

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

C. Wills, ed.

2011-09-13

This NNSSER was prepared to satisfy DOE Order DOE O 231.1B, “Environment, Safety and Health Reporting.” Its purpose is to (1) report compliance status with environmental standards and requirements, (2) present results of environmental monitoring of radiological and nonradiological effluents, (3) report estimated radiological doses to the public from releases of radioactive material, (4) summarize environmental incidents of noncompliance and actions taken in response to them, (5) describe the NNSA/NSO Environmental Management System and characterize its performance, and (6) highlight significant environmental programs and efforts. This NNSSER summarizes data and compliance status for calendar year 2010 at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) (formerly the Nevada Test Site) and its two support facilities, the North Las Vegas Facility (NLVF) and the Remote Sensing Laboratory–Nellis (RSL-Nellis). It also addresses environmental restoration (ER) projects conducted at the Tonopah Test Range (TTR). Through a Memorandum of Agreement, NNSA/NSO is responsible for the oversight of TTR ER projects, and the Sandia Site Office of NNSA (NNSA/SSO) has oversight of all other TTR activities. NNSA/SSO produces the TTR annual environmental report available at http://www.sandia.gov/news/publications/environmental/index.html.

Modification and Assembly of a Versatile Lactonase for Bacterial Quorum Quenching

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melissa K. Rhoads

2018-02-01

Full Text Available This work sets out to provide a self-assembled biopolymer capsule activated with a multi-functional enzyme for localized delivery. This enzyme, SsoPox, which is a lactonase and phosphotriesterase, provides a means of interrupting bacterial communication pathways that have been shown to mediate pathogenicity. Here we demonstrate the capability to express, purify and attach SsoPox to the natural biopolymer chitosan, preserving its activity to “neutralize” long-chain autoinducer-1 (AI-1 communication molecules. Attachment is shown via non-specific binding and by engineering tyrosine and glutamine affinity ‘tags’ at the C-terminus for covalent linkage. Subsequent degradation of AI-1, in this case N-(3-oxododecanoyl-l-homoserine lactone (OdDHL, serves to “quench” bacterial quorum sensing (QS, silencing intraspecies communication. By attaching enzymes to pH-responsive chitosan that, in turn, can be assembled into various forms, we demonstrate device-based flexibility for enzyme delivery. Specifically, we have assembled quorum-quenching capsules consisting of an alginate inner core and an enzyme “decorated” chitosan shell that are shown to preclude bacterial QS crosstalk, minimizing QS mediated behaviors.

Service Redesign Using Factor Analysis, TRIZ, and Service Blueprint (Case study on Garuda Indonesia’s sales and service office at Senayan City

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suzianti Amalia

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Indonesia is a country that has potential to be the one of the biggest airline industry. This potential leads the competition in airline industrymore aggressive. Garuda Indonesia as the leading airline must maintains its position as a leader in Indonesian airline industry. To maintain its position, Garuda Indonesia has repaired all of its aspects, one of them is service. The most important service area that give the most complete facilities to customers and contributions to Garuda Indonesia, is sales and service office (SSO. This research is trying to suggest recommendations of service redesign on Garuda Indonesia’s SSO in order to create better customer satisfaction. This research uses factor analysis to analyze the factors that contribute to the customer preferences. The result shows the duration of service delivery, facilities in waiting area and frontliner’s competencies are the major factors that contribute to the failure points in sales and service office. In the next stage, the TRIZ contradiction analysis is used resulting twelve inventive principles. Furthermore, new service design of Indonesia airline’s sales and service office is proposed following the principles generated in TRIZ through service blueprint.

Enhancement Corrosion Resistance of (γ-Glycidyloxypropyl-Silsesquioxane-Titanium Dioxide Films and Its Validation by Gas Molecule Diffusion Coefficients Using Molecular Dynamics (MD Simulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haiyan Wang

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Based on silsesquioxanes (SSO derived from the hydrolytic condensation of (γ-glycidyloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPMS and titanium tetrabutoxide (TTB, hybrid films on aluminum alloy (AA, film-GPMS-SSO (f-GS and f-GS-TTBi% (f-GSTT5%–25%, i = 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 wt%, were prepared and tested by electrochemical measurements with typical potentiodynamic polarization curves. The Icorr values of the samples were significantly lower, comparing with the Icorr values of the f-GS, AA and f-GS modified tetraethoxysilane (TEOS in the previous study, which implies that the TTB5%–25% (TiO2 additions in the coatings indeed enhance the electrochemical corrosion resistance. Correlations between the film structures and anticorrosion properties were discussed. To validate the corresponding anticorrosion experiment results, different 3D-amorphous cubic unit cells were employed as models to investigate the self-diffusion coefficient (SDC for SO2, NO2 and H2O molecules by molecular dynamics (MD simulation. All of the SDCs calculated for SO2, NO2 and H2O diffusing in f-GSTT5%–25% cells were less than the SDCs in f-GS. These results validated the corresponding anticorrosion experiment results.

THE LUPUS TRANSIT SURVEY FOR HOT JUPITERS: RESULTS AND LESSONS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bayliss, Daniel D. R.; Sackett, Penny D.; Weldrake, David T. F.; Tingley, Brandon W.; Lewis, Karen M.

2009-01-01

We present the results of a deep, wide-field transit survey targeting 'Hot Jupiter' planets in the Lupus region of the Galactic plane conducted over 53 nights concentrated in two epochs separated by a year. Using the Australian National University 40-inch telescope at Siding Spring Observatory (SSO), the survey covered a 0.66 deg 2 region close to the Galactic plane (b = 11 0 ) and monitored a total of 110,372 stars (15.0 ≤ V ≤ 22.0). Using difference imaging photometry, 16,134 light curves with a photometric precision of σ < 0.025 mag were obtained. These light curves were searched for transits, and four candidates were detected that displayed low-amplitude variability consistent with a transiting giant planet. Further investigations, including spectral typing and radial velocity measurements for some candidates, revealed that of the four, one is a true planetary companion (Lupus-TR-3), two are blended systems (Lupus-TR-1 and 4), and one is a binary (Lupus-TR-2). The results of this successful survey are instructive for optimizing the observational strategy and follow-up procedure for deep searches for transiting planets, including an upcoming survey using the SkyMapper telescope at SSO.

Isotope determination of sulfur by mass spectrometry in soil samples

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexssandra Luiza Rodrigues Molina Rossete

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Sulphur plays an essential role in plants and is one of the main nutrients in several metabolic processes. It has four stable isotopes (32S, 33S, 34S, and 36S with a natural abundance of 95.00, 0.76, 4.22, and 0.014 in atom %, respectively. A method for isotopic determination of S by isotope-ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS in soil samples is proposed. The procedure involves the oxidation of organic S to sulphate (S-SO4(2-, which was determined by dry combustion with alkaline oxidizing agents. The total S-SO4(2- concentration was determined by turbidimetry and the results showed that the conversion process was adequate. To produce gaseous SO2 gas, BaSO4 was thermally decomposed in a vacuum system at 900 ºC in the presence of NaPO3. The isotope determination of S (atom % 34S atoms was carried out by isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS. In this work, the labeled material (K2(34SO4 was used to validate the method of isotopic determination of S; the results were precise and accurate, showing the viability of the proposed method.

Depletion by styrene of glutathione in plasma and bronchioalveolar lavage fluid of non-Swiss albino (NSA) mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Carlson, Gary P

2010-01-01

Styrene is a widely used chemical, but it is known to produce lung and liver damage in mice. This may be related to oxidative stress associated with the decrease in the levels of reduced glutathione (GSH) in the target tissues. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of styrene and its primary metabolites R-styrene oxide (R-SO) and S-styrene oxide (S-SO) on GSH levels in the lung lumen, as determined by amounts of GSH in bronchioalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and in plasma. When non-Swiss albino (NSA) mice were administered styrene (600 mg/kg, ip), there was a significant fall in GSH levels in both BALF and plasma within 3 h. These returned to control levels by 12 h. The active metabolite R-SO (300 mg/kg, ip) also produced significant decreases in GSH in both BALF and plasma, but S-SO was without marked effect. Since GSH is a principal antioxidant in the lung epithelial lining fluid, this fall due to styrene may exert a significant influence on the ability of the lung to buffer oxidative damage.

Catalytic ozonation not relying on hydroxyl radical oxidation: A selective and competitive reaction process related to metal-carboxylate complexes

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Tao

2014-01-01

Catalytic ozonation following non-hydroxyl radical pathway is an important technique not only to degrade refractory carboxylic-containing organic compounds/matter but also to avoid catalyst deactivation caused by metal-carboxylate complexation. It is unknown whether this process is effective for all carboxylates or selective to special molecule structures. In this work, the selectivity was confirmed using O3/(CuO/CeO2) and six distinct ozone-resistant probe carboxylates (i.e., acetate, citrate, malonate, oxalate, pyruvate and succinate). Among these probe compounds, pyruvate, oxalate, and citrate were readily degraded following the rate order of oxalate>citrate>pyruvate, while the degradation of acetate, malonate, and succinate was not promoted. The selectivity was independent on carboxylate group number of the probe compounds and solution pH. Competitive degradation was observed for carboxylate mixtures following the preference order of citrate, oxalate, and finally pyruvate. The competitive degradation was ascribed to competitive adsorption on the catalyst surface. It was revealed that the catalytically degradable compounds formed bidentate chelating or bridging complexes with surface copper sites of the catalyst, i.e., the active sites. The catalytically undegradable carboxylates formed monodentate complexes with surface copper sites or just electrostatically adsorbed on the catalyst surface. The selectivity, relying on the structure of surface metal-carboxylate complex, should be considered in the design of catalytic ozonation process. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

Spatial Reorganization of the Endoplasmic Reticulum during Mitosis Relies on Mitotic Kinase Cyclin A in the Early Drosophila Embryo

Science.gov (United States)

Bergman, Zane J.; Mclaurin, Justin D.; Eritano, Anthony S.; Johnson, Brittany M.; Sims, Amanda Q.; Riggs, Blake

2015-01-01

Mitotic cyclin-dependent kinase with their cyclin partners (cyclin:Cdks) are the master regulators of cell cycle progression responsible for regulating a host of activities during mitosis. Nuclear mitotic events, including chromosome condensation and segregation have been directly linked to Cdk activity. However, the regulation and timing of cytoplasmic mitotic events by cyclin:Cdks is poorly understood. In order to examine these mitotic cytoplasmic events, we looked at the dramatic changes in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) during mitosis in the early Drosophila embryo. The dynamic changes of the ER can be arrested in an interphase state by inhibition of either DNA or protein synthesis. Here we show that this block can be alleviated by micro-injection of Cyclin A (CycA) in which defined mitotic ER clusters gathered at the spindle poles. Conversely, micro-injection of Cyclin B (CycB) did not affect spatial reorganization of the ER, suggesting CycA possesses the ability to initiate mitotic ER events in the cytoplasm. Additionally, RNAi-mediated simultaneous inhibition of all 3 mitotic cyclins (A, B and B3) blocked spatial reorganization of the ER. Our results suggest that mitotic ER reorganization events rely on CycA and that control and timing of nuclear and cytoplasmic events during mitosis may be defined by release of CycA from the nucleus as a consequence of breakdown of the nuclear envelope. PMID:25689737

River flow and fish abundance in a South African estuary

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Whitfield, AK

2003-06-01

Full Text Available w volum e (m 3 s� 1 ) a t th e tim e o f sa m pl in g a re a lso sh ow n. Est ua ry a sso cia tio n ca te go rie s a fte r W hi tfi eld (19 99 ): M M ,m a rin e m ig ra nt ;M S, m a rin...

Vision Algorithms Catch Defects in Screen Displays

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Andrew Watson, a senior scientist at Ames Research Center, developed a tool called the Spatial Standard Observer (SSO), which models human vision for use in robotic applications. Redmond, Washington-based Radiant Zemax LLC licensed the technology from NASA and combined it with its imaging colorimeter system, creating a powerful tool that high-volume manufacturers of flat-panel displays use to catch defects in screens.

Automatic and Intentional Number Processing Both Rely on Intact Right Parietal Cortex: A Combined fMRI and Neuronavigated TMS Study

Science.gov (United States)

Cohen Kadosh, Roi; Bien, Nina; Sack, Alexander T.

2012-01-01

Practice and training usually lead to performance increase in a given task. In addition, a shift from intentional toward more automatic processing mechanisms is often observed. It is currently debated whether automatic and intentional processing is subserved by the same or by different mechanism(s), and whether the same or different regions in the brain are recruited. Previous correlational evidence provided by behavioral, neuroimaging, modeling, and neuropsychological studies addressing this question yielded conflicting results. Here we used transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to compare the causal influence of disrupting either left or right parietal cortex during automatic and intentional numerical processing, as reflected by the size congruity effect and the numerical distance effect, respectively. We found a functional hemispheric asymmetry within parietal cortex with only the TMS-induced right parietal disruption impairing both automatic and intentional numerical processing. In contrast, disrupting the left parietal lobe with TMS, or applying sham stimulation, did not affect performance during automatic or intentional numerical processing. The current results provide causal evidence for the functional relevance of right, but not left, parietal cortex for intentional, and automatic numerical processing, implying that at least within the parietal cortices, automatic, and intentional numerical processing rely on the same underlying hemispheric lateralization. PMID:22347175

Measuring Ambiguity in HLA Typing Methods

Science.gov (United States)

Madbouly, Abeer; Freeman, John; Maiers, Martin

2012-01-01

In hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, donor selection is based primarily on matching donor and patient HLA genes. These genes are highly polymorphic and their typing can result in exact allele assignment at each gene (the resolution at which patients and donors are matched), but it can also result in a set of ambiguous assignments, depending on the typing methodology used. To facilitate rapid identification of matched donors, registries employ statistical algorithms to infer HLA alleles from ambiguous genotypes. Linkage disequilibrium information encapsulated in haplotype frequencies is used to facilitate prediction of the most likely haplotype assignment. An HLA typing with less ambiguity produces fewer high-probability haplotypes and a more reliable prediction. We estimated ambiguity for several HLA typing methods across four continental populations using an information theory-based measure, Shannon's entropy. We used allele and haplotype frequencies to calculate entropy for different sets of 1,000 subjects with simulated HLA typing. Using allele frequencies we calculated an average entropy in Caucasians of 1.65 for serology, 1.06 for allele family level, 0.49 for a 2002-era SSO kit, and 0.076 for single-pass SBT. When using haplotype frequencies in entropy calculations, we found average entropies of 0.72 for serology, 0.73 for allele family level, 0.05 for SSO, and 0.002 for single-pass SBT. Application of haplotype frequencies further reduces HLA typing ambiguity. We also estimated expected confirmatory typing mismatch rates for simulated subjects. In a hypothetical registry with all donors typed using the same method, the entropy values based on haplotype frequencies correspond to confirmatory typing mismatch rates of 1.31% for SSO versus only 0.08% for SBT. Intermediate-resolution single-pass SBT contains the least ambiguity of the methods we evaluated and therefore the most certainty in allele prediction. The presented measure objectively evaluates HLA

Measuring ambiguity in HLA typing methods.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vanja Paunić

Full Text Available In hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, donor selection is based primarily on matching donor and patient HLA genes. These genes are highly polymorphic and their typing can result in exact allele assignment at each gene (the resolution at which patients and donors are matched, but it can also result in a set of ambiguous assignments, depending on the typing methodology used. To facilitate rapid identification of matched donors, registries employ statistical algorithms to infer HLA alleles from ambiguous genotypes. Linkage disequilibrium information encapsulated in haplotype frequencies is used to facilitate prediction of the most likely haplotype assignment. An HLA typing with less ambiguity produces fewer high-probability haplotypes and a more reliable prediction. We estimated ambiguity for several HLA typing methods across four continental populations using an information theory-based measure, Shannon's entropy. We used allele and haplotype frequencies to calculate entropy for different sets of 1,000 subjects with simulated HLA typing. Using allele frequencies we calculated an average entropy in Caucasians of 1.65 for serology, 1.06 for allele family level, 0.49 for a 2002-era SSO kit, and 0.076 for single-pass SBT. When using haplotype frequencies in entropy calculations, we found average entropies of 0.72 for serology, 0.73 for allele family level, 0.05 for SSO, and 0.002 for single-pass SBT. Application of haplotype frequencies further reduces HLA typing ambiguity. We also estimated expected confirmatory typing mismatch rates for simulated subjects. In a hypothetical registry with all donors typed using the same method, the entropy values based on haplotype frequencies correspond to confirmatory typing mismatch rates of 1.31% for SSO versus only 0.08% for SBT. Intermediate-resolution single-pass SBT contains the least ambiguity of the methods we evaluated and therefore the most certainty in allele prediction. The presented measure

Isotope determination of sulfur by mass spectrometry in soil samples Determinação isotópica de enxofre por espectrometria de massas (irms em amostras de solo

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexssandra Luiza Rodrigues Molina Rossete

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Sulphur plays an essential role in plants and is one of the main nutrients in several metabolic processes. It has four stable isotopes (32S, 33S, 34S, and 36S with a natural abundance of 95.00, 0.76, 4.22, and 0.014 in atom %, respectively. A method for isotopic determination of S by isotope-ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS in soil samples is proposed. The procedure involves the oxidation of organic S to sulphate (S-SO4(2-, which was determined by dry combustion with alkaline oxidizing agents. The total S-SO4(2- concentration was determined by turbidimetry and the results showed that the conversion process was adequate. To produce gaseous SO2 gas, BaSO4 was thermally decomposed in a vacuum system at 900 ºC in the presence of NaPO3. The isotope determination of S (atom % 34S atoms was carried out by isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS. In this work, the labeled material (K2(34SO4 was used to validate the method of isotopic determination of S; the results were precise and accurate, showing the viability of the proposed method.O enxofre tem papel essencial em plantas, sendo um dos principais nutrientes em diversos processos metabólicos; ele apresenta quatro isótopos estáveis (32S, 33S, 34S e 36S, com abundância natural de 95,00, 0,76, 4,22 e 0,014 % em átomos, respectivamente. Desenvolver um método para determinação isotópica do S por espectrometria de massas de razão isotópica (IRMS em amostras de solo foi o objetivo deste trabalho. A oxidação de S orgânico a sulfato (S-SO4(2- foi avaliada utilizando a oxidação via seca com agentes oxidantes alcalinos. A concentração S-SO4(2- foi determinada pelo método turbidimétrico, e os resultados mostraram que o processo de conversão foi adequado. A obtenção do gás SO2 foi por decomposição térmica do BaSO4 em uma linha de vácuo a 900 ºC, em presença de NaPO3. A determinação isotópica do S (% em átomos de 34S foi realizada em um espectrômetro de massa (IRMS. Neste trabalho, a

An Overview of the Characteristics and Function of Vitamin C in Various Tissues: Relying on its Antioxidant Function

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abolfazl Akbari

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid or ascorbate is a biomolecule that participates in many biochemical processes. It is an essential nutrient for humans, however, in some species such as rodents and guinea pigs is synthesized. It has a variety of functions in the body that we might venture to say make it a very important antioxidant nature and pro-oxidant. L-ascorbic acidic a reduced form of vitamin C and dehydroascorbic acid (DHA is the oxidized form of ascorbate, both L-ascorbic acid and dihydroascorbic acid retain the vitamin C activity. Dehydro-ascorbate is reconverted to ascorbate in the cytosol by cytochrome b reductase and thioredoxin reductase in reactions involving NADH and NADPH, respectively. Ascorbate is transported into the cell via the sodium-dependent vitamin C transporters (SVCTs, which causes accumulation of ascorbate within cells against a concentration gradient. Dehydroascorbic acid, the oxidized form of ascorbate, is transported via glucose transporters family (GLUTs. The highest concentrations of ascorbate in the body are found in brain and adrenal gland. Vitamin C also acts as a co-factor in several enzyme reactions. This vitamin is an essential biochemical factor in the reproductive process. The pharmacophore of vitamin C is the ascorbate, ascorbate is an antioxidant.Ascorbate is a neuromodulator of glutamatergic and dopaminergic system and related behaviors. It also improves components of the immune system. Given the wide role of ascorbate, further investigation is necessary to evaluate the exact mechanism(s underlying these effects. In this review we will consider a short overview of the characteristics and function of vitamin C (relying on antioxidant function in various tissues.

Evaluation of the Use of Periodicals Collection of the Higher Education Council Documentation and Online Search Center: Arts and Humanities Periodicals YÖK Dokümantasyon ve Uluslararası Bilgi Tarama Merkezi Koleksiyonundaki Sanat ve Beşeri Bilimler Konulu Süreli Yayınların Kullanım Değerlendirmesi

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elçin Özbudak

1995-06-01

Full Text Available Evaluation of the use perodicals collections in libraries is important as perodicals report the results of the latest scientific research and they are usually more expensive than other types of library materials. In this study we evaluate the use of Arts and Humanities periodicals in the collection of the Higher Education Council Documentation Center. Although the use of Arts and Humanities periodicals was found to be lower than, say, Biomedical periodicals collection, the number of journal titles in Arts and Humanities appears to be quite satisfactory. Some suggestions are made so as to increase the use of Arts and Humanities periodicals collection. Bilimsel araştırmalar için en güncel bilgileri veren ve maliyeti diğer materyallere göre daha fazla olan süreli yayınların ne oranda kullanıldığının araştırılması, koleksiyon değerlendirmesi açısından önemlidir. Bu amaçla, Yükseköğretim Kurulu Dokümantasyon ve Uluslararası Bilgi Tarama Merkezi süreli yayınlar koleksiyonunun genel bir değerlendirmesi yapılarak "Sanat ve Beşeri Bilimler" konulu süreli yayınların kullanımları incelenmiş, Yükseköğretim Kurulu Dokümantasyon ve Uluslararası Bilgi Tarama Merkezi 'nde önemli ve büyük bir süreli yayınlar koleksiyonu bulunduğu, "Sanat ve Beşeri Bilimler" konulu süreli yayınların da yeterli olduğu sonuçları çıkartılmıştır. "Sanat ve Beşeri Bilimler" konulu süreli yayınların kullanımlarının nispeten düşük oluşu, bu alanda çalışan araştırmacıların süreli yayınlara yeterince ilgi göstermemelerine bağlanarak, kullanımı artırmak için öneriler getirilmiştir.

Organizing for Innovation in a Shared Services Organization: A Case Study of Ericsson

OpenAIRE

Tsagkari, Kleopatra-Zoi

2016-01-01

Intense global competition and rapid technological advances have seen innovation become central towards enabling firms to adapt and rejuvenate themselves. While firms become increasingly focused on innovation, the challenge of managing innovation and developing innovation capabilities still remains. The purpose of this thesis is to analyse and evaluate the innovation capabilities of Ericsson’s Shared Services Organization (SSO). To do so, the existing literature and theories are synthesized a...

The Integration of Realistic Episodic Memories Relies on Different Working Memory Processes: Evidence from Virtual Navigation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gaën Plancher

2018-01-01

central elements. By contrast, the prevention of visuo-spatial maintenance interfered both with the encoding of the temporal context and with the binding. These results suggest that the integration of realistic episodic memories relies on different working memory processes that depend on the nature of the traces.

The Integration of Realistic Episodic Memories Relies on Different Working Memory Processes: Evidence from Virtual Navigation.

Science.gov (United States)

Plancher, Gaën; Gyselinck, Valérie; Piolino, Pascale

2018-01-01

contrast, the prevention of visuo-spatial maintenance interfered both with the encoding of the temporal context and with the binding. These results suggest that the integration of realistic episodic memories relies on different working memory processes that depend on the nature of the traces.

Luminex® xMAP® technology is an effective strategy for high-definition human leukocyte antigen typing of cord blood units prior to listing.

Science.gov (United States)

Guarene, Marco; Badulli, Carla; Cremaschi, Anna L; Sbarsi, Ilaria; Cacciatore, Rosalia; Tinelli, Carmine; Pasi, Annamaria; Bergamaschi, Paola; Perotti, Cesare G

2018-05-01

Allele-level donor-recipient match at HLA-A, HLA-B, HLA-C and HLA-DRB1 loci impacts the outcome after cord blood transplantation for hematologic malignancies and modifies the strategy of donor selection. High definition of both class I and II HLA loci at time of listing is a way to improve the attractiveness of cord blood bank inventories, reducing the time for donor search and procurement and simplifying donor choice, in particular, for patients of non-European heritage. In 2014, Luminex ® xMAP ® technology was introduced in our laboratory practice and was applied to cord blood units typing. In this study, we evaluated the impact of this strategy in comparison with the platform in use until 2013, relying on LiPA reverse polymerase chain reaction-sequence-specific oligonucleotide (revPCR-SSO) plus polymerase chain reaction-sequence-specific primer (PCR-SSP). In 2014, the time for testing was shorter (141 vs 181 days on average), the number of test repetitions was lower (in particular for HLA-A locus, p = 0.026), and the cost reduced (240.7 vs 395.6 euros per unit on average) compared to 2013, demonstrating that Luminex xMAP technology is superior to the previous approach. Luminex xMAP platform has useful application in cord blood banking programs, to achieve high-definition HLA typing of cord blood units at the time of banking in a quick, accurate, and cost-effective manner.

Caution required when relying on a colleague's advice; a comparison between professional advice and evidence from the literature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hulshof Carel

2005-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Occupational Physicians rely especially on advice from colleagues when answering their information demands. On the other hand, Evidence-based Medicine (EBM promotes the use of up-to-date research literature instead of experts. To find out if there was a difference between expert-based practice and EBM we compared professional advice on occupational health topics with best evidence from the literature. Methods We asked 14 occupational physicians to consult their usual information sources on 12 pre-conceived occupational health problems. The problems were presented in the form of case vignettes which contained sufficient clinical information to be used by the occupational physicians for the consultation of their experts. We had searched the literature for the best available evidence on the 12 problems, which made it possible to answer the clinical questions with a clear yes or no. Results The cases could be used by the occupational physicians as arising from their own practice. All together the occupational physicians consulted 75 different experts. Almost half of the consulted experts were near colleagues, 10% were industrial hygienists, 8% medical specialists and the rest had a varied background. Fifty three percent (95% confidence interval 42% to 65% of all professional advice was not in line with the research literature. In 18 cases (24% professional advice explicitly referred to up-to-date research literature as their used source. These cases were substantially less incorrect (17% than advice that had not mentioned the literature as a source (65% (difference 48%, 95% Confidence Interval from 27% to 69%. Conclusion Advice that occupational physicians routinely get in their daily practice differs substantially from best evidence from the literature. Occupational physicians who ask professional advice should always ask about the evidence of this advice.

Caution required when relying on a colleague's advice; a comparison between professional advice and evidence from the literature

Science.gov (United States)

Schaafsma, Frederieke; Verbeek, Jos; Hulshof, Carel; van Dijk, Frank

2005-01-01

Background Occupational Physicians rely especially on advice from colleagues when answering their information demands. On the other hand, Evidence-based Medicine (EBM) promotes the use of up-to-date research literature instead of experts. To find out if there was a difference between expert-based practice and EBM we compared professional advice on occupational health topics with best evidence from the literature. Methods We asked 14 occupational physicians to consult their usual information sources on 12 pre-conceived occupational health problems. The problems were presented in the form of case vignettes which contained sufficient clinical information to be used by the occupational physicians for the consultation of their experts. We had searched the literature for the best available evidence on the 12 problems, which made it possible to answer the clinical questions with a clear yes or no. Results The cases could be used by the occupational physicians as arising from their own practice. All together the occupational physicians consulted 75 different experts. Almost half of the consulted experts were near colleagues, 10% were industrial hygienists, 8% medical specialists and the rest had a varied background. Fifty three percent (95% confidence interval 42% to 65%) of all professional advice was not in line with the research literature. In 18 cases (24%) professional advice explicitly referred to up-to-date research literature as their used source. These cases were substantially less incorrect (17%) than advice that had not mentioned the literature as a source (65%) (difference 48%, 95% Confidence Interval from 27% to 69%). Conclusion Advice that occupational physicians routinely get in their daily practice differs substantially from best evidence from the literature. Occupational physicians who ask professional advice should always ask about the evidence of this advice. PMID:16131405

Early Growth of Improved Acacia mangium at Different Planting Densities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arif Nirsatmanto

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Integrating tree improvement into silvicultural practices is essential in forest plantation. Concerning this fact, Acacia mangium spacing trial planted using genetically improved seed was established in West Java. This study was aimed to evaluate the impact of ages and planting density on early growth of improved seed A. mangium in the spacing trial. Improved seed from 2 seed orchards (SSO-5 and SSO-20 and a control of unimproved seed from seed stand (SS-7 were tested together in spacing 3 × 3 m and 2 × 2 m. Height, diameter, stem volume, and stand volume were observed at 3 ages. The results showed that improved seed consistently outperformed to unimproved seed. Ages were highly significant for all traits, but the significant difference varied among traits and seed sources for planting density and the interactions. High density performed better growth than low density at first year, and they were varied in subsequent ages depending on traits and seed sources. Improved seed from less intensity selection orchard was less tolerance to high density than that from high intensity selection orchard, but the tolerance was reversed in low density. Improved seed A. mangium from different level of genetic selection has responded differently in behavior to the changes of planting density.

Overview of GX launch services by GALEX

Science.gov (United States)

Sato, Koji; Kondou, Yoshirou

2006-07-01

Galaxy Express Corporation (GALEX) is a launch service company in Japan to develop a medium size rocket, GX rocket and to provide commercial launch services for medium/small low Earth orbit (LEO) and Sun synchronous orbit (SSO) payloads with a future potential for small geo-stationary transfer orbit (GTO). It is GALEX's view that small/medium LEO/SSO payloads compose of medium scaled but stable launch market due to the nature of the missions. GX rocket is a two-stage rocket of well flight proven liquid oxygen (LOX)/kerosene booster and LOX/liquid natural gas (LNG) upper stage. This LOX/LNG propulsion under development by Japan's Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), is robust with comparable performance as other propulsions and have future potential for wider application such as exploration programs. GX rocket is being developed through a joint work between the industries and GX rocket is applying a business oriented approach in order to realize competitive launch services for which well flight proven hardware and necessary new technology are to be introduced as much as possible. It is GALEX's goal to offer “Easy Access to Space”, a highly reliable and user-friendly launch services with a competitive price. GX commercial launch will start in Japanese fiscal year (JFY) 2007 2008.

Design of optimised backstepping controller for the synchronisation of chaotic Colpitts oscillator using shark smell algorithm

Science.gov (United States)

Fouladi, Ehsan; Mojallali, Hamed

2018-01-01

In this paper, an adaptive backstepping controller has been tuned to synchronise two chaotic Colpitts oscillators in a master-slave configuration. The parameters of the controller are determined using shark smell optimisation (SSO) algorithm. Numerical results are presented and compared with those of particle swarm optimisation (PSO) algorithm. Simulation results show better performance in terms of accuracy and convergence for the proposed optimised method compared to PSO optimised controller or any non-optimised backstepping controller.

Iranian Joint Registry(Iranian National Hip and Knee Arthroplasty Registry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hamidreza Aslani

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Periodic evaluation and monitoring the health and economic outcome of joint replacement surgery is a common and popular process under the territory of joint registries in many countries. In this article we introduce the methodology used for the foundation of the National Iranian Joint Registry (IJR with a joint collaboration of the Social Security Organization (SSO and academic research departments considering the requirements of the Iran’s Ministry of Health and Education.

Pakistan Earthquake Relief Operations: Leveraging Humanitarian Missions for Strategic Success

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-01

PRISM 2, no. 1 leSSoNS leaRNed | 131 On Christmas morning 2005, at Saint Patrick’s Catholic Church in Auckland , New Zealand, a priest stepped up to... economically difficult to sustain. However, the HA/DR cam- paign in Pakistan, Operation Lifeline, provides a useful model of how humanitarian...35 The two field hospitals became symbols of the American-Pakistani military partnership and an asymmetric advantage for the United States as

AMBIGUITY OF LOCI DURING HLA-TYPING ON SSO TECHNOLOGY AND ATTEMPT TO RESOLVE THEM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. A. Loginova

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Sequence specific oligonucleotides typing was used to identify human leukocyte antigen (HLA-A, B, DRB1 alleles from 705 recruited volunteers with Volga Federal District for unrelated hematopoietic stem cell registry and 155 of their number at locus HLA-C. 48 samples cannot be entered into the database because of ambiguities in the identification of allelic loci on HLA-class I – HLA-A, HLA-B. To resolution of ambiguity use reagents kits AlleleSEQR HLA Sequencing, which allowed to reveal the ambiguity of the locus HLA-A, 44% of cases, the loci HLA-B and HLA-C – 40% of cases. Application software HARPs Finder showed the possibility of resolution of all identified allelic ambiguities (with the exception of types of ambiguity – A*03/A*32 or A*74:13/A*32:04 and A*01/A*11 or A*36:04/A*11 with the addition of basic kits AlleleSEQR HLA Sequencing reagents kit Al- leleSEQR HARPs. 

Spatial imagery relies on a sensory independent, though sensory sensitive, functional organization within the parietal cortex: a fMRI study of angle discrimination in sighted and congenitally blind individuals.

Science.gov (United States)

Bonino, Daniela; Ricciardi, Emiliano; Bernardi, Giulio; Sani, Lorenzo; Gentili, Claudio; Vecchi, Tomaso; Pietrini, Pietro

2015-02-01

Although vision offers distinctive information to space representation, individuals who lack vision since birth often show perceptual and representational skills comparable to those found in sighted individuals. However, congenitally blind individuals may result in impaired spatial analysis, when engaging in 'visual' spatial features (e.g., perspective or angle representation) or complex spatial mental abilities. In the present study, we measured behavioral and brain responses using functional magnetic resonance imaging in sighted and congenitally blind individuals during spatial imagery based on a modified version of the mental clock task (e.g., angle discrimination) and a simple recognition control condition, as conveyed across distinct sensory modalities: visual (sighted individuals only), tactile and auditory. Blind individuals were significantly less accurate during the auditory task, but comparable-to-sighted during the tactile task. As expected, both groups showed common neural activations in intraparietal and superior parietal regions across visual and non-visual spatial perception and imagery conditions, indicating the more abstract, sensory independent functional organization of these cortical areas, a property that we named supramodality. At the same time, however, comparisons in brain responses and functional connectivity patterns across experimental conditions demonstrated also a functional lateralization, in a way that correlated with the distinct behavioral performance in blind and sighted individuals. Specifically, blind individuals relied more on right parietal regions, mainly in the tactile and less in the auditory spatial processing. In sighted, spatial representation across modalities relied more on left parietal regions. In conclusions, intraparietal and superior parietal regions subserve supramodal spatial representations in sighted and congenitally blind individuals. Differences in their recruitment across non-visual spatial processing in

Recent QUEST experiments on non-inductive current drive and plasma-wall interaction towards steady state operation of spherical tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hanada, K.; Zushi, H.; Idei, H.; Nakamura, K.; Nagashima, Y.; Hasegawa, M.; Fujisawa, A.; Higashijima, A.; Kawasaki, S.; Nakashima, H.; Ishiguro, M.; Tashima, S.; Kalinnikova, E.I.; Mitarai, O.; Maekawa, T.; Fukuyama, A.; Takase, Y.; Gao, X.; Liu, H.; Qian, J.; Ono, M.; Raman, R.; Peng, M.

2015-01-01

Full text of publication follows. Steady state operation (SSO) of magnetic fusion devices is one of the goals for fusion research. Development of non-inductive current drive and investigation of plasma-wall interaction (PWI) are issues to be resolved for SSO. Because of the very limited central solenoid (CS) flux in a spherical tokamak (ST), methods for non-inductive plasma current start-up and sustainment are necessary. Fully non-inductive plasma up to approximately 5 min was successfully demonstrated on the spherical tokamak QUEST. Furthermore, recharging of the center solenoid coil was also achieved in OH+RF plasmas with plasma current feedback using the CS. During the plasma start-up phase, precession motion of trapped electrons can drive some current, which plays an essential role in forming a closed flux surface. On QUEST, the main parts of the plasma facing components (PFCs) are covered by tungsten plates (W) or coated by W plasma spray and are actively cooled by water circulation. The increase in water temperature quantitatively provides the deposited power to each PFC. The power balance during long duration discharges has been studied for various types of magnetic configurations such as limiter, upper and lower single-null divertor discharges. As, the temperature of any PFCs reaches a steady-state condition during long pulse, the power balance can be obtained. It is found that the discharge duration of QUEST is significantly limited by particle imbalance shown by gradual increment of plasma and neutral density. The additional influx of neutrals was provided by recycling of hydrogen, which is still uncontrollable. A point model of particle balance was applied to a long-duration divertor discharge, and it was found that a small increment of particle-influx occurred around the end of the long duration discharge. A post-mortem analysis of surface-attaching specimen during an experimental campaign indicates that the increased amount of neutral influx could be

Access to Grafts in a Liver Transplant Center: Does It Rely on the Severity of the Waiting List Population?

Science.gov (United States)

Daciuk, N I; Quiñonez, E G; Poupard, M; Vergara Sandoval, R M; Mattera, F J

2018-03-01

The number of transplants performed relies, partially, on recipients' variables on the waiting list. The goal of this study was to compare recipients from a high-volume liver center in Argentina with the rest of the country. This study was a retrospective analysis of liver transplant recipients nationally between January 2013 and April 2017. It involved extracting data from the open database CRESI-SINTRA (the Argentinian database of the National Procurement Organization, an equivalent to the United Network for Organ Sharing); expressing results by percentages, medians, and interquartile ranges (IQRs); and comparing the national population with the population transplanted at Hospital El Cruce (HEC). The Mann-Whitney U test was used for analysis. Nationally, 1434 liver transplants were performed. A total of 177 (12.34%) were emergency status; 811 (56.6%) were by the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) (n = 759)/PELD (Pediatric End-Stage Liver Disease) (n = 52), with a median graft assignment position of 5 (IQR, 3-10) in 57.2 days (IQR, 11-217). Median MELD access was 29 points (IQR, 24-33). A total of 446 (31.1%) had MELD exceptions; 249 (55.8%) of these were due to Milan hepatocellular carcinoma. At the HEC, 167 liver transplantations were performed; 26 (15.6%) were emergency status and 97 (58.1%) by MELD (none PELD). Their median graft assignment position was 4 (IQR, 4-16) in 19.1 days (IQR, 4-90); median MELD access was 28 points (IQR, 24-31). Forty-five patients (26.9%) had MELD exceptions; 31 (68.9%) were due to hepatocellular carcinoma. Our center has a larger proportion of recipients transplanted by emergency status and MELD, similar MELD access, and less waiting list time, reflecting our wide policy of liver graft acceptance. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Security Aspects for Business Solution Development on Portal Technology

OpenAIRE

Ovidiu R?DU??; Adrian MUNTEANU

2012-01-01

In the scope of portal development, in order to talk about security issues, concerns, and solutions, it is necessary to define a few terms: authentication, authorization, Single Sign-On (SSO), confidentiality, integrity, and non-repudiation. Focusing on the scope of what the portal developer and designer need to know, below it will be explained these concepts, considering it is important to define and make a brief analysis of these terms for understanding of achieving the security goals.

Hyperthermostable binding molecules on phage: Assay components for point-of-care diagnostics for active tuberculosis infection.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Ning; Spencer, John; Schmitt, Margaret A; Fisk, John D

2017-03-15

Tuberculosis is the leading cause of death from infectious disease worldwide. The low sensitivity, extended processing time, and high expense of current diagnostics are major challenges to the detection and treatment of tuberculosis. Mycobacterium tuberculosis ornithine transcarbamylase (Mtb OTC, Rv1656) has been identified in the urine of patients with active TB infection and is a promising target for point-of-care diagnostics. Specific binding proteins with low nanomolar affinities for Mtb OTC were selected from a phage display library built upon a hyperthermostable Sso7d scaffold. Phage particles displaying Sso7d variants were utilized to generate a sandwich ELISA-based assay for Mtb OTC. The assay response is linear between 2 ng/mL and 125 ng/mL recombinant Mtb OTC and has a limit of detection of 400 pg/mL recombinant Mtb OTC. The assay employing a phage-based detection reagent is comparable to commercially-available antibody-based biosensors. Importantly, the assay maintains functionality at both neutral and basic pH in presence of salt and urea over the range of concentrations typical for human urine. Phage-based diagnostic systems may feature improved physical stability and cost of production relative to traditional antibody-based reagents, without sacrificing specificity and sensitivity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Hyperthermophilic endoglucanase for in planta lignocellulose conversion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Klose Holger

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The enzymatic conversion of lignocellulosic plant biomass into fermentable sugars is a crucial step in the sustainable and environmentally friendly production of biofuels. However, a major drawback of enzymes from mesophilic sources is their suboptimal activity under established pretreatment conditions, e.g. high temperatures, extreme pH values and high salt concentrations. Enzymes from extremophiles are better adapted to these conditions and could be produced by heterologous expression in microbes, or even directly in the plant biomass. Results Here we show that a cellulase gene (sso1354 isolated from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus can be expressed in plants, and that the recombinant enzyme is biologically active and exhibits the same properties as the wild type form. Since the enzyme is inactive under normal plant growth conditions, this potentially allows its expression in plants without negative effects on growth and development, and subsequent heat-inducible activation. Furthermore we demonstrate that the recombinant enzyme acts in high concentrations of ionic liquids and can therefore degrade α-cellulose or even complex cell wall preparations under those pretreatment conditions. Conclusion The hyperthermophilic endoglucanase SSO1354 with its unique features is an excellent tool for advanced biomass conversion. Here we demonstrate its expression in planta and the possibility for post harvest activation. Moreover the enzyme is suitable for combined pretreatment and hydrolysis applications.

Two DNA polymerase sliding clamps from the thermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus.

Science.gov (United States)

De Felice, M; Sensen, C W; Charlebois, R L; Rossi, M; Pisani, F M

1999-08-06

Herein, we report the identification and characterization of two DNA polymerase processivity factors from the thermoacidophilic archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus. They, referred to as 039p (244 amino acid residues, 27 kDa) and 048p (249 amino acid residues, 27 kDa), present significant primary structure similarity to eukaryotic proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). We demonstrate that both 039p and 048p form oligomers in solution and are able to substantially activate the synthetic activity of the single-subunit family B DNA polymerase from S. solfataricus (Sso DNA pol B1) on poly(dA)-oligo(dT) as a primer-template. This stimulatory effect is the result of enhanced DNA polymerase processivity, as indicated by the analysis of the elongation products on polyacrylamide gels. Activation of Sso DNA pol B1 synthetic activity was also observed on linear primed single-stranded M13 mp18 DNA as a template. By immunoblot analysis using specific rabbit antisera, 039p and 048p were both detected in the logarithmic and stationary phases of S. solfataricus growth curve. This is the first report of the identification and biochemical characterization of two distinct DNA polymerase processivity factors from the same organism. The significance of these findings for the understanding of the DNA replication process in Archaea is discussed. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.

Investigation of sliding DNA clamp dynamics by single-molecule fluorescence, mass spectrometry and structure-based modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Gadkari, Varun V; Harvey, Sophie R; Raper, Austin T; Chu, Wen-Ting; Wang, Jin; Wysocki, Vicki H; Suo, Zucai

2018-01-01

Abstract Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) is a trimeric ring-shaped clamp protein that encircles DNA and interacts with many proteins involved in DNA replication and repair. Despite extensive structural work to characterize the monomeric, dimeric, and trimeric forms of PCNA alone and in complex with interacting proteins, no structure of PCNA in a ring-open conformation has been published. Here, we use a multidisciplinary approach, including single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer (smFRET), native ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IM-MS), and structure-based computational modeling, to explore the conformational dynamics of a model PCNA from Sulfolobus solfataricus (Sso), an archaeon. We found that Sso PCNA samples ring-open and ring-closed conformations even in the absence of its clamp loader complex, replication factor C, and transition to the ring-open conformation is modulated by the ionic strength of the solution. The IM-MS results corroborate the smFRET findings suggesting that PCNA dynamics are maintained in the gas phase and further establishing IM-MS as a reliable strategy to investigate macromolecular motions. Our molecular dynamic simulations agree with the experimental data and reveal that ring-open PCNA often adopts an out-of-plane left-hand geometry. Collectively, these results implore future studies to define the roles of PCNA dynamics in DNA loading and other PCNA-mediated interactions. PMID:29529283

Avaliação de embalagens flexiveis esterilizaveis e alimentos de pronto consumo para equipagens de aeronaves e para uso terrestre.

OpenAIRE

Nelson Pedro Roja Junior

2008-01-01

Resumo: As rações operacionais s~so meios fundamentais para a execução das atividades de treinamento e desdobramento real das Forcas Armadas do mundo inteiro, sendo empregadas ainda em circunstancias de contingencia de ordem civil. Neste sentido, a Força Aerea Brasileira, na busca continuada de solucoes e melhorias na area do fornecimento de alimentos, vem priorizando pesquisas para o desenvolvimento de produtos de pronto consumo. Nessa linha, o objetivo principal desta investigacao foi desen...

Translations on Eastern Europe, Political, Sociological and Military Affairs, Number 1579

Science.gov (United States)

1978-08-23

front of the bridge abutments . The weight-volume ratio was so selected that the rail girders and the road- way or track plates would float in the...respect to the required posi- tion. 2-3 Abutment with Highway Connection ThP abutment , in its silkiest form, consists of a railroad tie stack; but...it c£ Sso be built up of massive prefabricated parts or locally prepared concrete. A portion of the start-up approach/ and braking forces is di

Perancangan Interior Sekolah Musik Surabaya Symphony Orchestra Di Surabaya

OpenAIRE

Grace Mulyono, Liliyana Tan IGN. Ardana

2016-01-01

Classical music has a lot of benefits that can make more optimal brain development. Surabaya Symphony Orchestra Music School is a place to facilitate society in Surabaya to learn classical music.Many activities that can support learning classical music has not been facilitated due to the limited area, and lack of interior on SSO create interest and learning music became blocked. In accordance with Dolce concept which means “to play sweetly”, the music school design is using bright colors with...

Moralized Rationality: Relying on Logic and Evidence in the Formation and Evaluation of Belief Can Be Seen as a Moral Issue

Science.gov (United States)

Skitka, Linda J.

2016-01-01

In the present article we demonstrate stable individual differences in the extent to which a reliance on logic and evidence in the formation and evaluation of beliefs is perceived as a moral virtue, and a reliance on less rational processes is perceived as a vice. We refer to this individual difference variable as moralized rationality. Eight studies are reported in which an instrument to measure individual differences in moralized rationality is validated. Results show that the Moralized Rationality Scale (MRS) is internally consistent, and captures something distinct from the personal importance people attach to being rational (Studies 1–3). Furthermore, the MRS has high test-retest reliability (Study 4), is conceptually distinct from frequently used measures of individual differences in moral values, and it is negatively related to common beliefs that are not supported by scientific evidence (Study 5). We further demonstrate that the MRS predicts morally laden reactions, such as a desire for punishment, of people who rely on irrational (vs. rational) ways of forming and evaluating beliefs (Studies 6 and 7). Finally, we show that the MRS uniquely predicts motivation to contribute to a charity that works to prevent the spread of irrational beliefs (Study 8). We conclude that (1) there are stable individual differences in the extent to which people moralize a reliance on rationality in the formation and evaluation of beliefs, (2) that these individual differences do not reduce to the personal importance attached to rationality, and (3) that individual differences in moralized rationality have important motivational and interpersonal consequences. PMID:27851777

Moralized Rationality: Relying on Logic and Evidence in the Formation and Evaluation of Belief Can Be Seen as a Moral Issue.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tomas Ståhl

Full Text Available In the present article we demonstrate stable individual differences in the extent to which a reliance on logic and evidence in the formation and evaluation of beliefs is perceived as a moral virtue, and a reliance on less rational processes is perceived as a vice. We refer to this individual difference variable as moralized rationality. Eight studies are reported in which an instrument to measure individual differences in moralized rationality is validated. Results show that the Moralized Rationality Scale (MRS is internally consistent, and captures something distinct from the personal importance people attach to being rational (Studies 1-3. Furthermore, the MRS has high test-retest reliability (Study 4, is conceptually distinct from frequently used measures of individual differences in moral values, and it is negatively related to common beliefs that are not supported by scientific evidence (Study 5. We further demonstrate that the MRS predicts morally laden reactions, such as a desire for punishment, of people who rely on irrational (vs. rational ways of forming and evaluating beliefs (Studies 6 and 7. Finally, we show that the MRS uniquely predicts motivation to contribute to a charity that works to prevent the spread of irrational beliefs (Study 8. We conclude that (1 there are stable individual differences in the extent to which people moralize a reliance on rationality in the formation and evaluation of beliefs, (2 that these individual differences do not reduce to the personal importance attached to rationality, and (3 that individual differences in moralized rationality have important motivational and interpersonal consequences.

New isotopic evidence for the origin of groundwater from the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer in the Negev, Israel

Science.gov (United States)

Vengosh, A.; Hening, S.; Ganor, J.; Mayer, B.; Weyhenmeyer, C.E.; Bullen, T.D.; Paytan, A.

2007-01-01

The geochemistry and isotopic composition (H, O, S, Osulfate, C, Sr) of groundwater from the Nubian Sandstone (Kurnub Group) aquifer in the Negev, Israel, were investigated in an attempt to reconstruct the origin of the water and solutes, evaluate modes of water-rock interactions, and determine mean residence times of the water. The results indicate multiple recharge events into the Nubian sandstone aquifer characterized by distinctive isotope signatures and deuterium excess values. In the northeastern Negev, groundwater was identified with deuterium excess values of ???16???, which suggests local recharge via unconfined areas of the aquifer in the Negev anticline systems. The ??18OH2O and ??2H values (-6.5??? and -35.4???) of this groundwater are higher than those of groundwater in the Sinai Peninsula and southern Arava valley (-7.5??? and -48.3???) that likewise have lower deuterium excess values of ???10???. Based on the geochemical differences between groundwater in the unconfined and confined zones of the aquifer, a conceptual geochemical model for the evolution of the groundwater in the Nubian sandstone aquifer has been reconstructed. The isotopic composition of shallow groundwater from the unconfined zone indicates that during recharge oxidation of pyrite to SO4 (??34SSO4 ???-13???; ??18OSO4 ???+7.7???) and dissolution of CaCO3 (87Sr/86Sr ???0.70787; ??13CDIC = -3.7???) occur. In the confined zone of the aquifer, bacterial SO4 reduction removes a significant part of dissolved SO42 -, thereby modifying its isotopic composition (??34SSO4 ???-2???; ??18OSO4 ???+8.5???) and liberating dissolved inorganic C that contains little or no radiocarbon (14C-free) with low ??13CDIC values (contribution of external groundwater sources to the Nubian Sandstone aquifer, resulting in further modifications of the groundwater chemical and isotopic signatures. In the northeastern Negev, it is shown that SO4-rich groundwater from the underlying Jurassic aquifer contributes

Stepped MS(All) Relied Transition (SMART): An approach to rapidly determine optimal multiple reaction monitoring mass spectrometry parameters for small molecules.

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, Hui; Zhu, Lin; Wang, Lin; Liu, Huiying; Zhang, Jun; Wu, Mengqiu; Wang, Guangji; Hao, Haiping

2016-02-11

Multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) is a universal approach for quantitative analysis because of its high specificity and sensitivity. Nevertheless, optimization of MRM parameters remains as a time and labor-intensive task particularly in multiplexed quantitative analysis of small molecules in complex mixtures. In this study, we have developed an approach named Stepped MS(All) Relied Transition (SMART) to predict the optimal MRM parameters of small molecules. SMART requires firstly a rapid and high-throughput analysis of samples using a Stepped MS(All) technique (sMS(All)) on a Q-TOF, which consists of serial MS(All) events acquired from low CE to gradually stepped-up CE values in a cycle. The optimal CE values can then be determined by comparing the extracted ion chromatograms for the ion pairs of interest among serial scans. The SMART-predicted parameters were found to agree well with the parameters optimized on a triple quadrupole from the same vendor using a mixture of standards. The parameters optimized on a triple quadrupole from a different vendor was also employed for comparison, and found to be linearly correlated with the SMART-predicted parameters, suggesting the potential applications of the SMART approach among different instrumental platforms. This approach was further validated by applying to simultaneous quantification of 31 herbal components in the plasma of rats treated with a herbal prescription. Because the sMS(All) acquisition can be accomplished in a single run for multiple components independent of standards, the SMART approach are expected to find its wide application in the multiplexed quantitative analysis of complex mixtures. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Modeling Aerobic Carbon Source Degradation Processes using Titrimetric Data and Combined Respirometric-Titrimetric Data: Structural and Practical Identifiability

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gernaey, Krist; Petersen, B.; Dochain, D.

2002-01-01

The structural and practical identifiability of a model for description of respirometric-titrimetric data derived from aerobic batch substrate degradation experiments of a CxHyOz carbon source with activated sludge was evaluated. The model processes needed to describe titrimetric data included su...... the initial substrate concentration S-S(O) is known. The values found correspond to values reported in literature, but, interestingly, also seem able to reflect the occurrence of storage processes when pulses of acetate and dextrose are added. (C) 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc....

Out-of-Pocket and Informal Payment Before and After the Health Transformation Plan in Iran: Evidence from Hospitals Located in Kurdistan, Iran

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bakhtiar Piroozi

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Background One of the objectives of the health transformation plan (HTP in Iran is to reduce out-of-pocket (OOP payments for inpatient services and eradicate informal payments. The HTP has three phases: the first phase (launched in May 5, 2014 is focused on reducing OOP payments for inpatient services; the second phase (launched in May 22, 2014 is focused on primary healthcare (PHC and the third phase utilizes an updated relative value units for health services (launched in September 29, 2014 and is focused on the elimination of informal payments. This aim of this study was to determine the OOP payments and the frequency of informal cash payments to physicians for inpatient services before and after the HTP in Kurdistan province, Iran. Methods This quasi-experimental study used multistage sampling method to select and evaluate 265 patients discharged from hospitals in Kurdistan province. The study covered 3 phases (before the HTP, after the first, and third phases of the HTP. Part of the data was collected using a hospital information system form and the rest were collected using a questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Fisher exact test, logistic regression, and independent samples ttest. Results The mean OOP payments before the HTP and after the first and third phases, respectively, were US$59.4, US$17.6, and US$14.3 in hospital affiliated to the Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MoHME, US$39.6, US$33.7, and US$13.7 in hospitals affiliated to Social Security Organization (SSO, and US$153.3, US$188.7, and US$66.4 in private hospitals. In hospitals affiliated to SSO and MoHME there was a significant difference between the mean OOP payments before the HTP and after the third phase (P < .05. The percentage of informal payments to physicians in hospitals affiliated to MoHME, SSO, and private sector, respectively, were 4.5%, 8.1%, and 12.5% before the HTP, and 0.0%, 7.1%, and 10.0% after the first phase. Contrary to the time before the HTP

Operating The Central Process Systems At Glenn Research Center

Science.gov (United States)

Weiler, Carly P.

2004-01-01

As a research facility, the Glenn Research Center (GRC) trusts and expects all the systems, controlling their facilities to run properly and efficiently in order for their research and operations to occur proficiently and on time. While there are many systems necessary for the operations at GRC, one of those most vital systems is the Central Process Systems (CPS). The CPS controls operations used by GRC's wind tunnels, propulsion systems lab, engine components research lab, and compressor, turbine and combustor test cells. Used widely throughout the lab, it operates equipment such as exhausters, chillers, cooling towers, compressors, dehydrators, and other such equipment. Through parameters such as pressure, temperature, speed, flow, etc., it performs its primary operations on the major systems of Electrical Dispatch (ED), Central Air Dispatch (CAD), Central Air Equipment Building (CAEB), and Engine Research Building (ERB). In order for the CPS to continue its operations at Glenn, a new contract must be awarded. Consequently, one of my primary responsibilities was assisting the Source Evaluation Board (SEB) with the process of awarding the recertification contract of the CPS. The job of the SEB was to evaluate the proposals of the contract bidders and then to present their findings to the Source Selecting Official (SSO). Before the evaluations began, the Center Director established the level of the competition. For this contract, the competition was limited to those companies classified as a small, disadvantaged business. After an industry briefing that explained to qualified companies the CPS and type of work required, each of the interested companies then submitted proposals addressing three components: Mission Suitability, Cost, and Past Performance. These proposals were based off the Statement of Work (SOW) written by the SEB. After companies submitted their proposals, the SEB reviewed all three components and then presented their results to the SSO. While the

Assessment of the risk of pollution by sulfur compounds and heavy metals in soils located in the proximity of a disused for 20 years sulfur mine (SE Poland).

Science.gov (United States)

Sołek-Podwika, Katarzyna; Ciarkowska, Krystyna; Kaleta, Dorota

2016-09-15

The study assessed the long-term effects of anthropogenic pressure of the sulfur industry on turf-covered soils located in the vicinity of the sulfur mine Grzybów. The study assumes that 20 years which elapsed since the end of the exploitation of sulfur is a period sufficiently long for the content of sulfur compounds in soils not to exceed the permissible level and that soil of the region can be classified as not contaminated. A part of the study involved identification of changes in the contents Stot. and SSO4(2-) in soils collected in the 1970s and early twenty-first century. It was also traced the relationship between the content of sulfur compounds and selected soil properties and estimated risk of soil environment pollution by heavy metals. Mean contents of trace elements studied amounted to 10.2-10.8 mg kg(-1) for Pb, 14.3-39.4 mg kg(-1) for Zn, 0.2-0.4 mg kg(-1) for Cd, 3.8-32.2 mg kg(-1) for Cr, 2.7-15.1 mg kg(-1) for Cu and 2.9-18.7 mg kg(-1) for Ni. Based on the results of SSO4(2-) content in soils collected at a distance of 1 km from the mine, it was found out that despite the passage of years, the amount of this type of sulfur still is increased and exceeds 0.14 g kg(-1). As the distance from the mine grew lower (from 0.017 to 0.03 g kg(-1)) average content of the sulfur form was observed. In the studied soil material we found generally positive, strong correlation between the Stot. and SSO4(2-) content and analyzed trace elements. The degree of contamination of examined soils with heavy metals was estimated on the basis of the integrated pollution index, which pointed to a moderate and low level of antropogenization of this area. In addition, the relationship between the determined characteristics of soils (Corg. contents, the fraction heavy metals confirms that the trace elements present in soils do not occur in mobile forms in the soil solution. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Electrochemical sensors applied to pollution monitoring: Measurement error and gas ratio bias - A volcano plume case study

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, T. J.; Saffell, J. R.; Oppenheimer, C.; Lurton, T.

2014-06-01

There is an increasing scientific interest in the use of miniature electrochemical sensors to detect and quantify atmospheric trace gases. This has led to the development of ‘Multi-Gas' systems applied to measurements of both volcanic gas emissions, and urban air pollution. However, such measurements are subject to uncertainties introduced by sensor response time, a critical issue that has received limited attention to date. Here, a detailed analysis of output from an electrochemical SO2 sensor and two H2S sensors (contrasting in their time responses and cross-sensitivities) demonstrates how instrument errors arise under the conditions of rapidly fluctuating (by dilution) gas abundances, leading to scatter and importantly bias in the reported gas ratios. In a case study at Miyakejima volcano (Japan), electrochemical sensors were deployed at both the crater-rim and downwind locations, thereby exposed to rapidly fluctuating and smoothly varying plume gas concentrations, respectively. Discrepancies in the H2S/SO2 gas mixing ratios derived from these measurements are attributed to the sensors' differing time responses to SO2 and H2S under fluctuating plume conditions, with errors magnified by the need to correct for SO2 interference in the H2S readings. Development of a sensor response model that reproduces sensor t90 behaviour (the time required to reach 90% of the final signal following a step change in gas abundance) during calibration enabled this measurement error to be simulated numerically. The sensor response times were characterised as SO2 sensor (t90 ~ 13 s), H2S sensor without interference (t90 ~ 11 s), and H2S sensor with interference (t90 ~ 20 s to H2S and ~ 32 s to SO2). We show that a method involving data integration between periods of episodic plume exposure identifiable in the sensor output yields a less biased H2S/SO2 ratio estimate than that derived from standard analysis approaches. For the Miyakejima crater-rim dataset this method yields highly

Tumour necrosis factor-α polymorphism as one of the complex inherited factors in pemphigus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jolanta Dorota Torzecka

2003-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of our study was to analyse a significance of tumour necrosis factor (TNF-α promoter gene polymorphisms in relation to the HLA-DR locus in genetic predisposition to pemphigus. TNF-α gene polymorphisms in position -238 and -308 were identified using a modified polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method in 53 patients with pemphigus (38 with pemphigus vulgaris, 15 with pemphigus foliaceus and 87 healthy controls. The HLA-DRB1 locus was typed using the polymerase chain reaction SSO method in all the patients and 152 population controls.

Confined and interface phonons in combined cylindrical nanoheterosystem

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O.M.Makhanets

2006-01-01

Full Text Available The spectra of all types of phonons existing in a complicated combined nanoheterosystem consisting of three cylindrical quantum dots embedded into the cylindrical quantum wire placed into vacuum are studied within the dielectric continuum model. It is shown that there are confined optical (LO and interface phonons of two types: top surface optical (TSO and side surface optical (SSO modes of vibration in such a nanosystem. The dependences of phonon energies on the quasiwave numbers and geometrical parameters of quantum dots are investigated and analysed.

Organization of Circadian Behavior Relies on Glycinergic Transmission.

Science.gov (United States)

Frenkel, Lia; Muraro, Nara I; Beltrán González, Andrea N; Marcora, María S; Bernabó, Guillermo; Hermann-Luibl, Christiane; Romero, Juan I; Helfrich-Förster, Charlotte; Castaño, Eduardo M; Marino-Busjle, Cristina; Calvo, Daniel J; Ceriani, M Fernanda

2017-04-04

The small ventral lateral neurons (sLNvs) constitute a central circadian pacemaker in the Drosophila brain. They organize daily locomotor activity, partly through the release of the neuropeptide pigment-dispersing factor (PDF), coordinating the action of the remaining clusters required for network synchronization. Despite extensive efforts, the basic principles underlying communication among circadian clusters remain obscure. We identified classical neurotransmitters released by sLNvs through disruption of specific transporters. Adult-specific RNAi-mediated downregulation of the glycine transporter or impairment of glycine synthesis in LNv neurons increased period length by nearly an hour without affecting rhythmicity of locomotor activity. Electrophysiological recordings showed that glycine reduces spiking frequency in circadian neurons. Interestingly, downregulation of glycine receptor subunits in specific sLNv targets impaired rhythmicity, revealing involvement of glycine in information processing within the network. These data identify glycinergic inhibition of specific targets as a cue that contributes to the synchronization of the circadian network. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mosquitoes rely on their gut microbiota for development

Science.gov (United States)

Coon, Kerri L.; Vogel, Kevin J.; Brown, Mark R.; Strand, Michael R.

2014-01-01

Field studies indicate adult mosquitoes (Culicidae) host low diversity communities of bacteria that vary greatly among individuals and species. In contrast, it remains unclear how adult mosquitoes acquire their microbiome, what influences community structure, and whether the microbiome is important for survival. Here we used pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA to characterize the bacterial communities of three mosquito species reared under identical conditions. Two of these species, Aedes aegypti and Anopheles gambiae, are anautogenous and must blood feed to produce eggs, while one, Georgecraigius atropalpus, is autogenous and produces eggs without blood feeding. Each mosquito species contained a low diversity community comprised primarily of aerobic bacteria acquired primarily from the aquatic habitat in which larvae developed. Our results suggested the communities in Ae. aegypti and An. gambiae larvae share more similarities with one another than with Ge. atropalpus. Studies with Ae. aegypti also strongly suggested that adults transstadially acquired several members of the larval bacterial community, but only four genera of bacteria present in blood fed females were detected on eggs. Functional assays showed that axenic larvae of each species failed to develop beyond the first instar. Experiments with Ae. aegypti indicated several members of the microbial community and Escherichia coli successfully colonized axenic larvae and rescued development. Overall, our results provide new insights about the acquisition and structure of bacterial communities in mosquitoes. They also indicate three mosquito species spanning the breadth of the Culicidae depend on their gut microbiome for development. PMID:24766707

Rapid Fear Detection Relies on High Spatial Frequencies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Stein, T.; Seymour, K.; Hebart, M.N.; Sterzer, P.

Signals of threat—such as fearful faces—are processed with priority and have privileged access to awareness. This fear advantage is commonly believed to engage a specialized subcortical pathway to the amygdala that bypasses visual cortex and processes predominantly low-spatial-frequency information

Progress relies on sound information in the Philippines

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

numerous out-of-school youth is based on HOPES — HIV prevention ... Loved, cared for and protected, Educated and empowered,. Savings ... provided the foundation for these and other programs. Carried out .... Promote gender equality.

Does the Spatial Distribution of the Parasitic Mite Varroa jacobsoni Oud. (Mesostigmata: Varroidae) in Worker Brood of Honey Bee Apis Mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Rely on an Aggregative Process?

Science.gov (United States)

Salvy, M.; Capowiez, Y.; Le Conte, Y.; Salvy, M.; Clément, J.-L.

Varroa jacobsoni is an ectoparasite of honey bees which reproduces in capped brood cells. Multi-infestation is frequently observed in worker brood and can be interpreted as an aggregative phenomenon. The aim of this study was to determine whether the distribution of V. jacobsoni in worker brood cells relies on a random or an aggregative process. We studied the distribution of Varroa females in capped worker brood at similar age by comparing, by a Monte Carlo test, the observed frequency distribution of mites per cell to simulated distributions based on a random process. A complementary approach, using the "nearest neighbor distances" (NND) with Monte Carlo tests, was investigated to study the spatial distribution (a) between mites in different cells and (b) between infested cells in brood. The observed distributions did not differ significantly from that expected by a random process, and we conclude that there is no aggregation during invasion of V. jacobsoni in worker brood.

Meat spoilage during distribution.

Science.gov (United States)

Nychas, George-John E; Skandamis, Panos N; Tassou, Chrysoula C; Koutsoumanis, Konstantinos P

2008-01-01

Meat spoilage during distribution can be considered as an ecological phenomenon that encompasses the changes of the available substrata (e.g., low molecular compounds), during the prevailing of a particular microbial association, the so-called specific spoilage organisms (SSO). In fact, spoilage of meat depends on an even smaller fraction of SSO, called ephemeral spoilage organisms (ESO). These ESO are the consequence of factors that dynamically persist or imposed during, e.g., processing, transportation and storage in the market. Meanwhile spoilage is a subjective judgment by the consumer, which may be influenced by cultural and economic considerations and background as well as by the sensory acuity of the individual and the intensity of the change. Indeed, when spoilage progresses, most consumers would agree that gross discoloration, strong off-odors, and the development of slime would constitute the main qualitative criteria for meat rejection. On the other hand, meat industry needs rapid analytical methods or tools for quantification of these indicators to determine the type of processing needed for their raw material and to predict remaining shelf life of their products. The need of an objective evaluation of meat spoilage is of great importance. The use of metabolomics as a potential tool for the evaluation of meat spoilage can be of great importance. The microbial association of meat should be monitored in parallel with the estimation of changes occurring in the production and/or assimilation of certain compounds would allow us to evaluate spoilage found or produced during the storage of meat under different temperatures as well as packaging conditions.

Drug Perscription Patterns of Out Patient Medication for Older People Insured by Social Organization Insurance in Year 2009

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khalil No Kohan Ahvazi

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Objectives: Life expectancy and adolescents’ increment, as a threat or opportunity attracted researchers’ attention. Studies show an increase in treatment expenditures and adults care needs in comparison to other age groups. The goal of this study has been evaluating of medicine prescription in Iranian SSO insured adolescents and comparison in adolescence groups. Methods & Materials: It has been a retrospective, descriptive-analytical-cross sectional study by evaluating of SSO insured out patients’ prescriptions during the Year 1388. The information includes basic pattern tables consist of Drug name, pattern of specific prescribed drugs, Mean price of specific prescribed drugs, Expenditure of specific prescribed drugs, pattern More prescribed drug groups based on ATC classification, pattern The most prescribed drug groups based on adolescents’ age groups, non-adolescent group and WHO’s separated adolescents’ age groups. Results: The prescribed pattern drugs mean in under and over 60 years old people showed meaningful difference (P<0.005. The prescribed pattern drugs mean in three groups of adolescents, also showed meaningful difference (P<0.001. In addition the expenditure mean of prescribed drugs in under and over 60 years old people and in three groups of adolescents shows meaningful difference as P<0.004 and P<0.001 respectively. Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, adolescence has direct and increasing effect on refers to physicians and pharmacies. Among the adolescents' groups the expenditure mean increases although the number of refers decrease with in age increasing. By determining the most prescribed medicines, prevention of chronic diseases could be possible by education and training of families.

Training a new generation of breast surgeons: are we succeeding?

Science.gov (United States)

Sclafani, Lisa M; Bleznak, Aaron; Kelly, Tricia; El-Tamer, Mahmoud B

2012-06-01

Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO)-approved fellowships in Breast Oncology began training fellows in 2004. Here we ascertain methods of evaluating and improving the fellowship experience through fellowship alumni experience. We conducted an electronic survey of fellowship graduates to learn perceived successes and weaknesses of their fellowship training, as well as their current practice experiences. Our electronic survey focused on their preparedness for practice, their job opportunities, and their use of image-guided biopsies in practice. Between 2005 and 2009, 142 fellows graduated and received our survey; 85 (60%) responded. Although 98% of graduates though that they were well prepared by their fellowship for performing breast cancer surgery, fewer thought that they were well prepared to perform oncoplastic techniques (53%), ultrasound (39%), and ultrasound-guided biopsies (28%). Nevertheless, many acquired additional training, and 63% were performing ultrasound-guided biopsies in practice. The majority (76%) were performing breast surgery exclusively, with 14% identifying themselves as director of a breast center and only 29% describing themselves as being in private practice-the rest being employed at a hospital or university. Only 8% of respondents were disappointed with the job market, and 67% stated they had received at least three job offers; 82% were satisfied in their current job. SSO breast oncology fellowships appear to be training confident, well-prepared graduates with good job outlooks, and many are achieving leadership positions. Deficiencies in sonography training, some advanced surgical techniques, and administrative experiences should be addressed by program directors as graduates do perceive the need for such training.

Application of Open Source Software by the Lunar Mapping and Modeling Project

Science.gov (United States)

Ramirez, P.; Goodale, C. E.; Bui, B.; Chang, G.; Kim, R. M.; Law, E.; Malhotra, S.; Rodriguez, L.; Sadaqathullah, S.; Mattmann, C. A.; Crichton, D. J.

2011-12-01

The Lunar Mapping and Modeling Project (LMMP), led by the Marshall Space Flight center (MSFC), is responsible for the development of an information system to support lunar exploration, decision analysis, and release of lunar data to the public. The data available through the lunar portal is predominantly derived from present lunar missions (e.g., the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO)) and from historical missions (e.g., Apollo). This project has created a gold source of data, models, and tools for lunar explorers to exercise and incorporate into their activities. At Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), we focused on engineering and building the infrastructure to support cataloging, archiving, accessing, and delivery of lunar data. We decided to use a RESTful service-oriented architecture to enable us to abstract from the underlying technology choices and focus on interfaces to be used internally and externally. This decision allowed us to leverage several open source software components and integrate them by either writing a thin REST service layer or relying on the API they provided; the approach chosen was dependent on the targeted consumer of a given interface. We will discuss our varying experience using open source products; namely Apache OODT, Oracle Berkley DB XML, Apache Solr, and Oracle OpenSSO (now named OpenAM). Apache OODT, developed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and recently migrated over to Apache, provided the means for ingestion and cataloguing of products within the infrastructure. Its usage was based upon team experience with the project and past benefit received on other projects internal and external to JPL. Berkeley DB XML, distributed by Oracle for both commercial and open source use, was the storage technology chosen for our metadata. This decision was in part based on our use Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) Metadata, which is expressed in XML, and the desire to keep it in its native form and exploit other technologies built on

Word Frequency Analysis. MOS: 31N. Skill Levels 1 & 2.

Science.gov (United States)

1981-05-01

OF# I MEANING I MIA SUAU9L F I MEASURF1MENT I " FA SI O EV ~T S I M4flIuR I "MENE I MEMORIZE I "I C ROW AVEF M 1IGHT I ofI RE I MNO0R I to 1%SET) I...SPEC rEE~eO S TFtCIIF s 1 ISsO I SSO- 331 1 ST 1 Sj9SErqIMER 1 SLprpvisE I SUPERVISION I SUPRaVISORS I syNROLs I I TAtE)FM 1 TFCWIIOUES I TEL ECOMMUN

Site environmental report for 2005 Sandia National Laboratories, California.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Larsen, Barbara L.

2006-06-01

Sandia National Laboratories, California (SNL/CA) is a government-owned/contractor-operated laboratory. Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin Company, operates the laboratory for the Department of Energy's (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). The DOE/NNSA Sandia Site Office (SSO) oversees operations at the site, using Sandia Corporation as a management and operating contractor. This Site Environmental Report for 2005 was prepared in accordance with DOE Order 231.1A. The report provides a summary of environmental monitoring information and compliance activities that occurred at SNL/CA during calendar year 2005. General site and environmental program information is also included.

Comparison between sucrose, ethanol and methanol as carbon and energy sources for biological sulphate reduction

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Greben, HA

2000-01-01

Full Text Available .51 0.32 0.37 0.3 0.74 0.7 1.42 1.67 2.2 Ratios: Theor. COD/SO4 0.67 0.86 1 1.2 0.49 0.48 6.6 0.8 0.77 0.61 0.61 0.78 S/SO4 0.33 0.14 0.1 0.12 0.1 0.12 0.13 0.1 0.13 0.17 0.14 0.19 Alkalinity/SO4 10.4 1.7 0.87 0.41 0.56 0.48 0.61 0.31 0.47 0.40 0.48 0...

A Mobile Communications Space Link Between the Space Shuttle Orbiter and the Advanced Communications Technology Satellite

Science.gov (United States)

Fink, Patrick; Arndt, G. D.; Bondyopadhyay, P.; Shaw, Roland

1994-01-01

A communications experiment is described as a link between the Space Shuttle Orbiter (SSO) and the Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS). Breadboarding for this experiment has led to two items with potential for commercial application: a 1-Watt Ka-band amplifier and a Ka-band, circularly polarized microstrip antenna. Results of the hybrid Ka-band amplifier show gain at 30 dB and a saturated output power of 28.5 dBm. A second version comprised of MMIC amplifiers is discussed. Test results of the microstrip antenna subarray show a gain of approximately 13 dB and excellent circular polarization.

CASE STUDY: The Philippines — Progress relies on sound ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

2010-12-17

Dec 17, 2010 ... Today, Pasay suffers from overcrowding, unemployment, and ... Ensure environmental sustainability; Develop a global partnership for development. ... in partnership with the business sector, decided to organize job fairs in ...

Towards Concept Understanding relying on Conceptualisation in Constructivist Learning

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Badie, Farshad

2017-01-01

and understandings over their mental structures in the framework of constructivism, and I will clarify my logical [and semantic] conceptions of humans’ concept understandings. This research focuses on philosophy of education and on logics of human learning. It connects with the topics ‘Cognition in Education......, through this constructivism to a pedagogical theory of learning. I will mainly focus on conceptual and epistemological analysis of humans’ conceptualisations based on their own mental objects (schemata). Subsequently, I will propose an analytical specification of humans’ conceptualisations...

On liberation of communities which relies on nuclear power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Seung-Joon

2013-01-01

Just after the Nuclear Regulation Authority pointed out possible active faults for fracture zones just under the Tsuruga nuclear power station, local government of reactor site criticized this view was mere judgement of small experts group after its short-term field survey and evaluation meeting without enough discussion with nuclear operators. Behavior of local government, which should insist assurance of residents safety at first, seemed inscrutable and the industrial and financial structure of communities dependent on nuclear power should be clarified. Accident affected costs of nuclear power station estimated in the past were far beyond several trillion yen but local residents of reactor site used to believe accident risk might be negligible because of quite low accident probability estimated by probabilistic safety analysis. Economy of local government of reactor site was dependent on nuclear power. Economic benefits consisted of tax or subsidy income of local governments (financial aspect) and limited employment or grants of residents (economical aspect). Depreciation of relevant nuclear power station varied financial dependency of local government respectively, which could be compensated by local tax subsidy after nuclear power was abolished. Local industry dependent on nuclear power was mostly subcontracted building work or related service industry. Nuclear power phaseout could bring about new employment of residents at reactor site with decommissioning works and introduction of gas-fired thermal power or production center for renewable energy. (T. Tanaka)

Pantomimes are special gestures which rely on working memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Bartolo, A; Cubelli, R; Della Sala, S; Drei, S

2003-12-01

The case of a patient is reported who presented consistently with overt deficits in producing pantomimes in the absence of any other deficits in producing meaningful gestures. This pattern of spared and impaired abilities is difficult to reconcile with the current layout of cognitive models for praxis. This patient also showed clear impairment in a dual-task paradigm, a test taxing the co-ordination aspect of working memory, though performed normally in a series of other neuropsychological measures assessing language, visuo-spatial functions, reasoning function, and executive function. A specific working memory impairment associated with a deficit of pantomiming in the absence of any other disorders in the production of meaningful gestures suggested a way to modify the model to account for the data. Pantomimes are a particular category of gestures, meaningful, yet novel. We posit that by their very nature they call for the intervention of a mechanism to integrate and synthesise perceptual inputs together with information made available from the action semantics (knowledge about objects and functions) and the output lexicon (stored procedural programmes). This processing stage conceived as a temporary workspace where gesture information is actively manipulated, would generate new motor programmes to carry out pantomimes. The model of gesture production is refined to include this workspace.

Fast uncertainty reduction strategies relying on Gaussian process models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chevalier, Clement

2013-01-01

This work deals with sequential and batch-sequential evaluation strategies of real-valued functions under limited evaluation budget, using Gaussian process models. Optimal Stepwise Uncertainty Reduction (SUR) strategies are investigated for two different problems, motivated by real test cases in nuclear safety. First we consider the problem of identifying the excursion set above a given threshold T of a real-valued function f. Then we study the question of finding the set of 'safe controlled configurations', i.e. the set of controlled inputs where the function remains below T, whatever the value of some others non-controlled inputs. New SUR strategies are presented, together with efficient procedures and formulas to compute and use them in real world applications. The use of fast formulas to recalculate quickly the posterior mean or covariance function of a Gaussian process (referred to as the 'kriging update formulas') does not only provide substantial computational savings. It is also one of the key tools to derive closed form formulas enabling a practical use of computationally-intensive sampling strategies. A contribution in batch-sequential optimization (with the multi-points Expected Improvement) is also presented. (author)

Supercontinuum generation in silicon waveguides relying on wave-breaking.

Science.gov (United States)

Castelló-Lurbe, David; Silvestre, Enrique

2015-10-05

Four-wave-mixing processes enabled during optical wave-breaking (OWB) are exploited in this paper for supercontinuum generation. Unlike conventional approaches based on OWB, phase-matching is achieved here for these nonlinear interactions, and, consequently, new frequency production becomes more efficient. We take advantage of this kind of pulse propagation to obtain numerically a coherent octave-spanning mid-infrared supercontinuum generation in a silicon waveguide pumping at telecom wavelengths in the normal dispersion regime. This scheme shows a feasible path to overcome limits imposed by two-photon absorption on spectral broadening in silicon waveguides.

Unlocking good design does not rely on designers alone

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rodil, Kasper; Eskildsen, Søren; Morrison, Ann

This article describes on-going research in the design of sustainable systems to support transfer of indigenous knowledge between rural elders and city living youths in Namibia. Specifically we here address the importance of co-design and highlight some of our findings through experiences gathere...

Why cryptography should not rely on physical attack complexity

CERN Document Server

Krämer, Juliane

2015-01-01

This book presents two practical physical attacks. It shows how attackers can reveal the secret key of symmetric as well as asymmetric cryptographic algorithms based on these attacks, and presents countermeasures on the software and the hardware level that can help to prevent them in the future. Though their theory has been known for several years now, since neither attack has yet been successfully implemented in practice, they have generally not been considered a serious threat. In short, their physical attack complexity has been overestimated and the implied security threat has been underestimated. First, the book introduces the photonic side channel, which offers not only temporal resolution, but also the highest possible spatial resolution. Due to the high cost of its initial implementation, it has not been taken seriously. The work shows both simple and differential photonic side channel analyses. Then, it presents a fault attack against pairing-based cryptography. Due to the need for at least two indepe...

Nevada Test Site Environmental Report 2009

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cathy Wills, ed.

2010-09-13

The Nevada Test Site Environmental Report 2009 was prepared to meet the information needs of the public and the requirements and guidelines of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for annual site environmental reports. It was prepared by National Security Technologies, LLC (NSTec), for the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office (NNSA/NSO). This and previous years’ Nevada Test Site Environmental Reports (NTSERs) are posted on the NNSA/NSO website at http://www.nv.doe.gov/library/publications/aser.aspx. This NTSER was prepared to satisfy DOE Order DOE O 231.1A, “Environment, Safety and Health Reporting.” Its purpose is to (1) report compliance status with environmental standards and requirements, (2) present results of environmental monitoring of radiological and nonradiological effluents, (3) report estimated radiological doses to the public from releases of radioactive material, (4) summarize environmental incidents of noncompliance and actions taken in response to them, (5) describe the NNSA/NSO Environmental Management System and characterize its performance, and (6) highlight significant environmental programs and efforts. This NTSER summarizes data and compliance status for calendar year 2009 at the Nevada Test Site (NTS) and its two support facilities, the North Las Vegas Facility (NLVF) and the Remote Sensing Laboratory (RSL)-Nellis. It also addresses environmental restoration (ER) projects conducted at the Tonopah Test Range (TTR). Through a Memorandum of Agreement, NNSA/NSO is responsible for the oversight of TTR ER projects, and the Sandia Site Office of NNSA (NNSA/SSO) has oversight of all other TTR activities. NNSA/SSO produces the TTR annual environmental report available at http://www.sandia.gov/news/publications/environmental/index.html.

The qacC gene has recently spread between rolling circle plasmids of Staphylococcus, indicative of a novel gene transfer mechanism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Trudy M. Wassenaar

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Resistance of Staphylococcus species to quaternary ammonium compounds, frequently used as disinfectants and biocides, can be attributed to qac genes. These qac gene products belong to the Small Multidrug Resistant (SMR protein family, and are often encoded by rolling-circle (RC replicating plasmids. Four classes of SMR-type qac gene families have been described in Staphylococcus species: qacC, qacG, qacJ and qacH. Within their class, these genes are highly conserved, but qacC genes are extremely conserved, although they are found in variable plasmid backgrounds. The lower degree of sequence identity of these plasmids compared to the strict nucleotide conservation of their qacC means that this gene has recently spread. In the absence of insertion sequences or other genetic elements explaining the mobility, we sought for an explanation of mobilization by sequence comparison. Publically available sequences of qac genes, their flanking genes and the replication gene that is invariably present in RC-plasmids were compared to reconstruct the evolutionary history of these plasmids and to explain the recent spread of qacC. Here we propose a new model that explains how qacC is mobilized and transferred to acceptor RC-plasmids without assistance of other genes, by means of its location in between the Double Strand replication Origin (DSO and the Single-Strand replication Origin (SSO. The proposed mobilization model of this DSO-qacC-SSO element represents a novel mechanism of gene mobilization in RC-plasmids, which has also been employed by other genes, such as lnuA (conferring lincomycin resistance. The proposed gene mobility has aided to the wide spread of clinically relevant resistance genes in Staphylococcus populations.

The Splicing Efficiency of Activating HRAS Mutations Can Determine Costello Syndrome Phenotype and Frequency in Cancer.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anne-Mette Hartung

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Costello syndrome (CS may be caused by activating mutations in codon 12/13 of the HRAS proto-oncogene. HRAS p.Gly12Val mutations have the highest transforming activity, are very frequent in cancers, but very rare in CS, where they are reported to cause a severe, early lethal, phenotype. We identified an unusual, new germline p.Gly12Val mutation, c.35_36GC>TG, in a 12-year-old boy with attenuated CS. Analysis of his HRAS cDNA showed high levels of exon 2 skipping. Using wild type and mutant HRAS minigenes, we confirmed that c.35_36GC>TG results in exon 2 skipping by simultaneously disrupting the function of a critical Exonic Splicing Enhancer (ESE and creation of an Exonic Splicing Silencer (ESS. We show that this vulnerability of HRAS exon 2 is caused by a weak 3' splice site, which makes exon 2 inclusion dependent on binding of splicing stimulatory proteins, like SRSF2, to the critical ESE. Because the majority of cancer- and CS- causing mutations are located here, they affect splicing differently. Therefore, our results also demonstrate that the phenotype in CS and somatic cancers is not only determined by the different transforming potentials of mutant HRAS proteins, but also by the efficiency of exon 2 inclusion resulting from the different HRAS mutations. Finally, we show that a splice switching oligonucleotide (SSO that blocks access to the critical ESE causes exon 2 skipping and halts proliferation of cancer cells. This unravels a potential for development of new anti-cancer therapies based on SSO-mediated HRAS exon 2 skipping.

Preliminary results of variable star search using KMTNet data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeon Young-Beom

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The KMTNet (Korea Microlensing Telescope Network was completed on October 2nd in 2015. There are three 1.6 m telescopes in Chile (CTIO, Australia (SSO and South Africa (SAAO. The field of view of the CCD camera is 2 degree × 2 degree. We are monitoring and observing the bulge region for 24-hour continuous observations using the KMTNet telescopes. I present the characteristics of CCD camera and telescope, and the status of observation programs. We are still developing CCD cameras to accurate photometry. From the KMTNet data, we can obtain accurate 24-hour continuous time-series data for many variable stars.

Austin Straubel Apt, Green Bay, Wisconsin. Revised Uniform Summary of Surface Weather Observations (RUSSWO). Parts A-F.

Science.gov (United States)

1982-03-15

78 80 . 81. 8le 82,1 82.1 82,1 82.1 82 82.1 82.2 82o2 82.2 82&2 5 00 73o. i 83 as as as8. 8 8 5 8583 85:3𔃻 85.3 85&4 6504 8504 85o4 > 4500 714: 79. 82...1 .7. 31 31 1a a 54/ 53 .1 3 1 , 1.0 1c .1 31 31 35 19 5 2 / 51 1 S _.10 ISo s n 25 13 SSO/ 49 1:4 loq lO 296 1o3 53 53 42 20 50/49 3 .1 2.6148/ 47

How and When Do Insects Rely on Endogenous Protein and Lipid Resources during Lethal Bouts of Starvation? A New Application for 13C-Breath testing.

Science.gov (United States)

McCue, Marshall D; Guzman, R Marena; Passement, Celeste A; Davidowitz, Goggy

2015-01-01

Most of our understanding about the physiology of fasting and starvation comes from studies of vertebrates; however, for ethical reasons, studies that monitor vertebrates through the lethal endpoint are scant. Insects are convenient models to characterize the comparative strategies used to cope with starvation because they have diverse life histories and have evolved under the omnipresent challenge of food limitation. Moreover, we can study the physiology of starvation through its natural endpoint. In this study we raised populations of five species of insects (adult grasshoppers, crickets, cockroaches, and larval beetles and moths) on diets labeled with either 13C-palmitic acid or 13C-leucine to isotopically enrich the lipids or the proteins in their bodies, respectively. The insects were allowed to become postabsorptive and then starved. We periodically measured the δ13C of the exhaled breath to characterize how each species adjusted their reliance on endogenous lipids and proteins as energy sources. We found that starving insects employ a wide range of strategies for regulating lipid and protein oxidation. All of the insects except for the beetle larvae were capable of sharply reducing reliance on protein oxidation; however, this protein sparing strategy was usually unsustainable during the entire starvation period. All insects increased their reliance on lipid oxidation, but while some species (grasshoppers, cockroaches, and beetle larvae) were still relying extensively on lipids at the time of death, other species (crickets and moth larvae) allowed rates of lipid oxidation to return to prestarvation levels. Although lipids and proteins are critical metabolic fuels for both vertebrates and insects, insects apparently exhibit a much wider range of strategies for rationing these limited resources during starvation.

How and When Do Insects Rely on Endogenous Protein and Lipid Resources during Lethal Bouts of Starvation? A New Application for 13C-Breath testing.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marshall D McCue

Full Text Available Most of our understanding about the physiology of fasting and starvation comes from studies of vertebrates; however, for ethical reasons, studies that monitor vertebrates through the lethal endpoint are scant. Insects are convenient models to characterize the comparative strategies used to cope with starvation because they have diverse life histories and have evolved under the omnipresent challenge of food limitation. Moreover, we can study the physiology of starvation through its natural endpoint. In this study we raised populations of five species of insects (adult grasshoppers, crickets, cockroaches, and larval beetles and moths on diets labeled with either 13C-palmitic acid or 13C-leucine to isotopically enrich the lipids or the proteins in their bodies, respectively. The insects were allowed to become postabsorptive and then starved. We periodically measured the δ13C of the exhaled breath to characterize how each species adjusted their reliance on endogenous lipids and proteins as energy sources. We found that starving insects employ a wide range of strategies for regulating lipid and protein oxidation. All of the insects except for the beetle larvae were capable of sharply reducing reliance on protein oxidation; however, this protein sparing strategy was usually unsustainable during the entire starvation period. All insects increased their reliance on lipid oxidation, but while some species (grasshoppers, cockroaches, and beetle larvae were still relying extensively on lipids at the time of death, other species (crickets and moth larvae allowed rates of lipid oxidation to return to prestarvation levels. Although lipids and proteins are critical metabolic fuels for both vertebrates and insects, insects apparently exhibit a much wider range of strategies for rationing these limited resources during starvation.

Development and verification of coupled fluid-structural dynamic codes for stress analysis of reactor vessel internals under blowdown loading

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krieg, R.; Schlechtendahl, E.G.

1977-01-01

YAQUIR has been applied to large PWR blowdown problems and compared with LECK results. The structural model of CYLDY2 and the fluid model of YAQUIR have been coupled in the code STRUYA. First tests with the fluid dynamic systems code FLUST have been successful. The incompressible fluid version of the 3D coupled code FLUX for HDR-geometry was checked against some analytical test cases and was used for evaluation of the eigenfrequencies of the coupled system. Several test cases were run with the two phase flow code SOLA-DF with satisfactory results. Remarkable agreement was found between YAQUIR results and experimental data obtained from shallow water analogy experiments. A test for investigation of nonequilibrium twophase flow dynamics has been specified in some detail. The test is to be performed early 1978 in the water loop of the IRB. Good agreement was found between the natural frequency predictions for the core barrel obtained from CYLDY2 and STRUDL/DYNAL. Work started on improvement of the beam mode treatment in CYLDY2. The name of this modified version will be CYLDY3. The fluiddynamic code SING1, based on an advanced singularity method and applicable to a broad class of highly transient, incompressible 3D-problems with negligible viscosity has been developed and tested. It will be used in connection with the planned laboratory experiments in order to investigate the effect of the core structure on the blowdown process. Coupling of SING1 with structural dynamics is on the way. (orig./RW) [de

Ege bölgesi standart süreli yıllık maksimum yağışları için en uygun dağılımlar

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Halil Karahan

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Su kaynaklarının temel girdisi olan yağışların; miktarı, süresi, şiddeti, alansal ve zamansal değişimi v.b. özelliklerinin bilinmesi; su kaynakları, tarım, kentleşme, drenaj, taşkın kontrolü ve ulaşım gibi farklı sektörlere ait planlama, tasarım, inşaat ve işletme çalışmaları için gereklidir. Belirtilen faaliyetlerin gerçekleştirilebilmesi için; mevcut gözlemlere dayalı, güvenilir ve gerçekçi tahminlerin yapılması gerekir. Güvenilir tahmin yapabilmenin ilk aşaması ise mevcut gözlemlerin güvenirliğinin test edilmesidir. Bu çalışmada; DMİ Genel Müdürlüğü tarafından işletilen Ege Bölgesi il ve ilçe merkezlerinde yer alan meteoroloji istasyonlarında (1929-2005 yıllarında ölçülen standart süreli maksimum yağış değerlerinin hangi dağılıma uyduklarını belirlemek için; Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Anderson-Darling ve Ki-Kare dağılım uygunluk testleri uygulanmıştır. Anderson-Darling testine göre gözlemlerin tümüne yakını GEV dağılımına uyum gösterirken, Kolmogorov-Smirnov ve Ki-Kare testlerine göre kısa, orta ve uzun süreli yağış gözlemleri için genellikle GEV, Gamma ve Log-Normal dağılımın uygun olduğu görülmüştür. Seçilen olasılık dağılımının parametrelerini belirlemek için farklı dağılımlara göre maksimum olabilirlik (LN2, LN3, EXP2, Gamma3, olasılık-ağırlıklı momentler (LP3,Gamma2, L-momentler (GEV ve en küçük kareler (Weibull2 yöntemleri kullanılmıştır.

Nevada National Security Site Environmental Report 2011

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wills, Cathy

2012-01-01

This report was prepared to meet the information needs of the public and the requirements and guidelines of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for annual site environmental reports. It was prepared by National Security Technologies, LLC (NSTec), for the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office (NNSA/NSO). This and previous years reports, called Annual Site Environmental Reports (ASERs), Nevada Test Site Environmental Reports (NTSERs), and, beginning in 2010, Nevada National Security Site Environmental Reports (NNSSERs), are posted on the NNSA/NSO website at http://www.nv.energy.gov/library/publications/aser.aspx. This NNSSER was prepared to satisfy DOE Order DOE O 231.1B, 'Environment, Safety and Health Reporting.' Its purpose is to (1) report compliance status with environmental standards and requirements, (2) present results of environmental monitoring of radiological and nonradiological effluents, (3) report estimated radiological doses to the public from releases of radioactive material, (4) summarize environmental incidents of noncompliance and actions taken in response to them, (5) describe the NNSA/NSO Environmental Management System and characterize its performance, and (6) highlight significant environmental programs and efforts. This NNSSER summarizes data and compliance status for calendar year 2011 at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) (formerly the Nevada Test Site) and its two support facilities, the North Las Vegas Facility (NLVF) and the Remote Sensing Laboratory-Nellis (RSL-Nellis). It also addresses environmental restoration (ER) projects conducted at the Tonopah Test Range (TTR). Through a Memorandum of Agreement, NNSA/NSO is responsible for the oversight of TTR ER projects, and the Sandia Site Office of NNSA (NNSA/SSO) has oversight of all other TTR activities. NNSA/SSO produces the TTR annual environmental report available at http://www.sandia.gov/news/publications/environmental/index.html.

Solute-specific patterns and drivers of urban stream chemistry revealed by long-term monitoring in Baltimore, Maryland

Science.gov (United States)

Reisinger, A. J.; Woytowitz, E.; Majcher, E.; Rosi, E. J.; Groffman, P.

2017-12-01

Urban streams receive a myriad of chemical inputs from the surrounding landscape due to altered lithology (asphalt, concrete), leaky sewage infrastructure, and other human activities (road salt, fertilizer, industrial wastes, wastewater effluent), potentially leading to multiple chemical stressors occurring simultaneously. To evaluate potential drivers of water chemistry change, we used approximately 20 years of weekly water chemistry monitoring data from streams in the Baltimore Ecosystem Study (BES) to quantify trends of annual loads and flow-weighted concentrations for multiple solutes of interest, including nitrate (NO3-), phosphate (PO43-), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), chloride (Cl-), and sulfate (SO42-) and subsequently examined various gray and green infrastructure characteristics at the watershed scale. For example, we quantified annual volume and duration of reported sanitary sewer overflows (SSO) and cumulative storage volume and area of various best management practices (BMPs). Site- and solute-specific trends differed, but across our monitoring network we found evidence for decreasing annual export for multiple solutes. Additionally, we found that changes in gray- and green-infrastructure characteristics were related to changes in water quality at our most downstream (most urban) monitoring site. For example, annual NO3- loads increased with longer cumulative SSO duration, whereas annual PO43- and TP loads decreased with a cumulative BMP area in the watershed. Further, we used same long-term water chemistry data and multivariate analyses to investigate whether urban streams have unique water chemistry fingerprints representing the multiple chemical stressors at a given site, which could provide insight into sources and impacts of water-quality impairment. These analyses and results illustrate the major role gray and green infrastructure play in influencing water quality in urban environments, and illustrate that focusing on a variety of

Risk factors of neurosensory disturbance following orthognathic surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Alolayan, Albraa Badr; Leung, Yiu Yan

2014-01-01

To report the incidence of objective and subjective neurosensory disturbance (NSD) after orthognathic surgery in a major orthognathic centre in Hong Kong, and to investigate the risk factors that contributed to the incidence of NSD after orthognathic surgery. A retrospective cross-sectional study on NSD after orthognathic surgery in a local major orthognathic centre. Patients who had bimaxillary orthognathic surgery reviewed at post-operative 6 months, 12 months or 24 months were recruited to undergo neurosensory tests with subjective and 3 objective assessments. Possible risk factors of NSD including subjects' age and gender, surgical procedures and surgeons' experience were analyzed. 238 patients with 476 sides were recruited. The incidences of subjective NSD after maxillary procedures were 16.2%, 13% and 9.8% at post-operative 6 months, 12 months and 24 months, respectively; the incidences of subjective NSD after mandibular procedures were 35.4%, 36.6% and 34.6% at post-operative 6 months, 12 months and 24 months, respectively. Increased age was found to be a significant risk factor of NSD after orthognathic surgery at short term (at 6 months and 12 months) but not at 24 months. SSO has a significantly higher risk of NSD when compared to VSSO. SSO in combination with anterior mandibular surgery has a higher risk of NSD when compared to VSSO in combination with anterior mandibular surgery or anterior mandibular surgery alone. Gender of patients and surgeons' experience were not found to be risk factors of NSD after orthognathic surgery. The incidence of NSD after maxillary and mandibular orthognathic procedures at post-operative 6 months, 12 months and 24 months was reported. Increased age was identified as a risk factor of short term post-operative NSD but not in long term (24 months or more). Specific mandibular procedures were related to higher incidence of NSD after orthognathic surgery.

TINJAUAN KEAMANAN SISTEM PADA TEKNOLOGI CLOUD COMPUTING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuli Fauziah

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Dalam perspektif teknologi informasi, cloud computing atau komputasi awan dapat diartikan sebagai suatu teknologi yang memanfaatkan internet sebagai resource untuk komputasi yang dapat di-request oleh pengguna dan merupakan sebuah layanan dengan pusat server bersifat virtual atau berada dalam cloud (internet itu sendiri. Banyak perusahaan yang ingin memindahkan aplikasi dan storage-nya ke dalam cloudcomputing. Teknologi ini menjadi trend dikalangan peneliti dan praktisi IT untuk menggali potensi yang dapat ditawarkan kepada masyarakat luas. Tetapi masih banyak isu keamanan yang muncul, karena teknologi yang masih baru. Salah satu isu keamanannya adalah Theft of Information, yaitu pencurian terhadap data yang disimpan di dalam Storage aplikasi yang menggunakan teknologi Cloud Computing. Kerugian yang akan diperoleh oleh pengguna teknologi ini sangat besar, karena informasi yang dicuri menyangkut data rahasia milik perusahaan, maupun data-data penting lainnya.Beberapa tindakan untuk mencegah terjadinya pencurian data ini, yaitu dengan  menghindari jenis ancaman keamanan berupa kehilangan atau kebocoran data dan pembajakan account atau service, serta Identity Management dan access control adalah kebutuhan yang utama bagi SaaS Cloud computing perusahaan. Dan salah satu metode yang digunakan dalam keamanan data aspek autentikasi dan otorisasi pada aplikasi atau service cloud computing adalah teknologi Single-sign-on. Teknologi Single-sign-on (SSO adalah teknologi yang mengizinkan pengguna jaringan agar dapat mengakses sumber daya dalam jaringan hanya dengan menggunakan satu akun pengguna saja. Teknologi ini sangat diminati, khususnya dalam jaringan yang sangat besar dan bersifat heterogen, juga pada jaringan cloud computing. Dengan menggunakan SSO, seorang pengguna hanya cukup melakukan proses autentikasi sekali saja untuk mendapatkan izin akses terhadap semua layanan yang terdapat di dalam jaringan. Kata Kunci : Storage, Aplikasi, Software as a

Fumarole/plume and diffuse CO2 emission from Sierra Negra caldera, Galapagos archipelago

Science.gov (United States)

Padrón, Eleazar; Hernández, Pedro A.; Pérez, Nemesio M.; Toulkeridis, Theofilos; Melián, Gladys; Barrancos, José; Virgili, Giorgio; Sumino, Hirochika; Notsu, Kenji

2012-08-01

Measurements of visible and diffuse gas emission were conducted in 2006 at the summit of Sierra Negra volcano, Galapagos, with the aim to better characterize degassing after the 2005 eruption. A total SO2 emission of 11 ± 2 t day-1 was derived from miniature differential optical absorption spectrometer (mini-DOAS) ground-based measurements of the plume emanating from the Mini Azufral fumarolic area, the most important site of visible degassing at Sierra Negra volcano. Using a portable multigas system, the H2S/SO2, CO2/SO2, and H2O/SO2 molar ratios in the Mina Azufral plume emissions were found to be 0.41, 52.2, and 867.9, respectively. The corresponding H2O, CO2, and H2S emission rates were 562, 394, and 3 t day-1, respectively. The total output of diffuse CO2 emissions from the summit of Sierra Negra volcano was 990 ± 85 t day-1, with 605 t day-1 being released by a deep source. The diffuse-to-plume CO2 emission ratio was about 1.5. Mina Azufral fumaroles released gasses containing 73.6 mol% of H2O; the main noncondensable components amounted to 97.4 mol% CO2, 1.5 mol% SO2, 0.6 mol% H2S, and 0.35 mol% N2. The higher H2S/SO2 ratio values found in 2006 as compared to those reported before the 2005 eruption reveal a significant hydrothermal contribution to the fumarolic emissions. 3He/4He ratios measured at Mina Azufral fumarolic discharges showed values of 17.88 ± 0.25 R A , indicating a mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB) and a Galapagos plume contribution of 53 and 47 %, respectively.

Evaluation of the Humoral Immune Response to Human Leukocyte Antigens in Brazilian Renal Transplant Candidates

Science.gov (United States)

Saito, Patricia Keiko; Yamakawa, Roger Haruki; Aparecida, Erica Pereira; da Silva Júnior, Waldir Verissimo; Borelli, Sueli Donizete

2014-01-01

Pre-transplant sensitization to human leukocyte antigens (HLA) is a risk factor for graft failure. Studies of the immunological profile related to anti-HLA antibodies in Brazilian renal transplant candidates are few. In this study, we evaluated the humoral immune response to HLA antigens in 269 renal transplant candidates, in Paraná State, Brazil. The HLA typing was performed by the polymerase chain reaction sequence-specific oligonucleotide method (PCR-SSO) combined with Luminex technology, using an SSO-LABType commercial kit (One Lambda, Inc., Canoga Park, CA, USA). The percentages of panel-reactive antibodies (PRA) and the specificity of anti-HLA antibodies were determined using the LS1PRA and LS2PRA commercial kits (One Lambda, Inc.). The PRA-positive group consisted of 182 (67.7%) patients, and the PRA-negative group of 87 (32.3%) patients. The two groups differed significantly only with respect to gender. Females were the most sensitized. Among the 182 patients with PRA- positive, 62 (34.1%) were positive for class I and negative for class II, 39 (21.4%) were negative for class I and positive for class II, and 81 (44.5%) were positive for both classes I and II. The HLA-A*02, A*24, A*01, B*44, B*35, B*15, DRB1*11, DRB1*04 and DRB1*03 allele groups were the most frequent. The specificities of anti-HLA antibodies were more frequent: A34, B57, Cw15, Cw16, DR51, DQ8 and DP14. This study documented the profile of anti-HLA antibodies in patients with chronic renal failure who were on waiting lists for an organ in Paraná, and found high sensitization to HLA antigens in the samples. PMID:24927116

Preparation and Characterization of Graphene Oxide-Modified Sapium sebiferum Oil-Based Polyurethane Composites with Improved Thermal and Mechanical Properties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guiying Wu

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Bio-based polyurethane (PU composites with superior thermal and mechanical properties have received wide attention. This is due to the recent rapid developments in the PU industry. In the work reported here, novel nano-composites with graphene oxide (GO-modified Sapium sebiferum oil (SSO-based PU has been synthesized via in situ polymerization. GO, prepared using the improved Hummers method from natural graphene (NG, and SSO-based polyol with a hydroxyl value of 211 mg KOH/g, prepared by lipase hydrolysis, were used as raw materials. The microstructures and properties of GO and the nano-composites were both characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD, transmission electron microscopy (TEM, scanning electron microscopy (SEM, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC, and tensile tests. The results showed that GO with its nano-sheet structure possessed a significant number of oxygen-containing functional groups at the surface. The nano-composites containing 1 wt % GO in the PU matrix (PU1 exhibited excellent comprehensive properties. Compared with those for pure PU, the glass transition temperature (Tg and initial decomposition temperature (IDT of the PU1 were enhanced by 14.1 and 31.8 °C, respectively. In addition, the tensile strength and Young’s modulus of the PU1 were also improved by 126% and 102%, respectively, compared to the pure PU. The significant improvement in both the thermal stability and mechanical properties for PU/GO composites was attributed to the homogeneous dispersion and good compatibility of GO with the PU matrix. The improvement in the properties upon the addition of GO may be attributable to the strong interfacial interaction between the reinforcing agent and the PU matrix.

Performance Improvement of Near Earth Space Survey (NESS Wide-Field Telescope (NESS-2 Optics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sung-Yeol Yu

2010-06-01

Full Text Available We modified the optical system of 500 mm wide-field telescope of which point spread function showed an irregularity. The telescope has been operated for Near Earth Space Survey (NESS located at Siding Spring Observatory (SSO in Australia, and the optical system was brought back to Korea in January 2008. After performing a numerical simulation with the tested value of surface figure error of the primary mirror using optical design program, we found that the surface figure error of the mirror should be fabricated less than root mean square (RMS λ/10 in order to obtain a stellar full width at half maximum (FWHM below 28 μm. However, we started to figure the mirror for the target value of RMS λ/20, because system surface figure error would be increased by the error induced by the optical axis adjustment, mirror cell installation, and others. The radius of curvature of the primary mirror was 1,946 mm after the correction. Its measured surface figure error was less than RMS λ/20 on the table of polishing machine, and RMS λ/15 after installation in the primary mirror cell. A test observation performed at Daeduk Observatory at Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute by utilizing the exiting mount, and resulted in 39.8 μm of stellar FWHM. It was larger than the value from numerical simulation, and showed wing-shaped stellar image. It turned out that the measured-curvature of the secondary mirror, 1,820 mm, was not the same as the designed one, 1,795.977 mm. We fabricated the secondary mirror to the designed value, and finally obtained a stellar FWHM of 27 μm after re-installation of the optical system into SSO NESS Observatory in Australia.

Evaluation of the humoral immune response to human leukocyte antigens in Brazilian renal transplant candidates.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patricia Keiko Saito

Full Text Available Pre-transplant sensitization to human leukocyte antigens (HLA is a risk factor for graft failure. Studies of the immunological profile related to anti-HLA antibodies in Brazilian renal transplant candidates are few. In this study, we evaluated the humoral immune response to HLA antigens in 269 renal transplant candidates, in Paraná State, Brazil. The HLA typing was performed by the polymerase chain reaction sequence-specific oligonucleotide method (PCR-SSO combined with Luminex technology, using an SSO-LABType commercial kit (One Lambda, Inc., Canoga Park, CA, USA. The percentages of panel-reactive antibodies (PRA and the specificity of anti-HLA antibodies were determined using the LS1PRA and LS2PRA commercial kits (One Lambda, Inc.. The PRA-positive group consisted of 182 (67.7% patients, and the PRA-negative group of 87 (32.3% patients. The two groups differed significantly only with respect to gender. Females were the most sensitized. Among the 182 patients with PRA- positive, 62 (34.1% were positive for class I and negative for class II, 39 (21.4% were negative for class I and positive for class II, and 81 (44.5% were positive for both classes I and II. The HLA-A*02, A*24, A*01, B*44, B*35, B*15, DRB1*11, DRB1*04 and DRB1*03 allele groups were the most frequent. The specificities of anti-HLA antibodies were more frequent: A34, B57, Cw15, Cw16, DR51, DQ8 and DP14. This study documented the profile of anti-HLA antibodies in patients with chronic renal failure who were on waiting lists for an organ in Paraná, and found high sensitization to HLA antigens in the samples.

AUTODIAGNÓSTICO PARTICIPATIVO PARA LA PROMOCIÓN DE LA SALUD EN UNA EMPRESA DEL SECTOR INDUSTRIAL DE LA ZONA METROPOLITANA DE GUADALAJARA, (ZMG 2009

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martín Acosta Fernández

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Se llevó a cabo un Autodiagnóstico Participativo (ADP en una empresa dedicada a la fabricación de colchones y hule espuma en Guadalajara, México con la finalidad de involucrar a los trabajadores en la identificación de los problemas de Seguridad y Salud Ocupacional (SSO. Se conformó un grupo nominal de 14 participantes. La recogida de datos se efectuó a través de distintas técnicas participativas como la inserción en el campo, la entrevista y discusión en grupo nominal. Los resultados obtenidos fueron la identificación de nueve problemas de salud relacionados con el trabajo. Desatacaron las molestias respiratorias por la aspiración de partículas de borra, los problemas visuales por fatiga y el estrés por procedimientos inadecuados con una calificación de (3 Muy frecuentes. El nivel de gravedad adjudicado a los problemas de salud fue de (3 Muy grave para el estrés por procedimientos inadecuados y caídas, (2 Grave para los problemas respiratorios por aspiración de partículas y problemas visuales. Las soluciones sugeridas fueron, para los problemas respiratorios, la utilización de equipo de protección personal, la reducción de partículas en suspensión y el uso de cubrebocas para los visitantes al área. Y para el estrés, reacomodo de materiales, reacondicionamiento del espacio de trabajo. Se concluyó que la participación de los trabajadores en la identificación de problemas de SSO les hace más conscientes de los problemas y más propositivos en la construcción de alternativas de solución.

Mining the Kilo-Degree Survey for solar system objects

Science.gov (United States)

Mahlke, M.; Bouy, H.; Altieri, B.; Verdoes Kleijn, G.; Carry, B.; Bertin, E.; de Jong, J. T. A.; Kuijken, K.; McFarland, J.; Valentijn, E.

2018-02-01

Context. The search for minor bodies in the solar system promises insights into its formation history. Wide imaging surveys offer the opportunity to serendipitously discover and identify these traces of planetary formation and evolution. Aim. We aim to present a method to acquire position, photometry, and proper motion measurements of solar system objects (SSOs) in surveys using dithered image sequences. The application of this method on the Kilo-Degree Survey (KiDS) is demonstrated. Methods: Optical images of 346 deg2 fields of the sky are searched in up to four filters using the AstrOmatic software suite to reduce the pixel to catalog data. The SSOs within the acquired sources are selected based on a set of criteria depending on their number of observation, motion, and size. The Virtual Observatory SkyBoT tool is used to identify known objects. Results: We observed 20 221 SSO candidates, with an estimated false-positive content of less than 0.05%. Of these SSO candidates, 53.4% are identified by SkyBoT. KiDS can detect previously unknown SSOs because of its depth and coverage at high ecliptic latitude, including parts of the Southern Hemisphere. Thus we expect the large fraction of the 46.6% of unidentified objects to be truly new SSOs. Conclusions: Our method is applicable to a variety of dithered surveys such as DES, LSST, and Euclid. It offers a quick and easy-to-implement search for SSOs. SkyBoT can then be used to estimate the completeness of the recovered sample. The tables of raw data are only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (http://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/610/A21

Nevada National Security Site Environmental Report 2011

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cathy Wills, ed

2012-09-12

This report was prepared to meet the information needs of the public and the requirements and guidelines of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for annual site environmental reports. It was prepared by National Security Technologies, LLC (NSTec), for the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office (NNSA/NSO). This and previous years reports, called Annual Site Environmental Reports (ASERs), Nevada Test Site Environmental Reports (NTSERs), and, beginning in 2010, Nevada National Security Site Environmental Reports (NNSSERs), are posted on the NNSA/NSO website at http://www.nv.energy.gov/library/publications/aser.aspx. This NNSSER was prepared to satisfy DOE Order DOE O 231.1B, 'Environment, Safety and Health Reporting.' Its purpose is to (1) report compliance status with environmental standards and requirements, (2) present results of environmental monitoring of radiological and nonradiological effluents, (3) report estimated radiological doses to the public from releases of radioactive material, (4) summarize environmental incidents of noncompliance and actions taken in response to them, (5) describe the NNSA/NSO Environmental Management System and characterize its performance, and (6) highlight significant environmental programs and efforts. This NNSSER summarizes data and compliance status for calendar year 2011 at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) (formerly the Nevada Test Site) and its two support facilities, the North Las Vegas Facility (NLVF) and the Remote Sensing Laboratory-Nellis (RSL-Nellis). It also addresses environmental restoration (ER) projects conducted at the Tonopah Test Range (TTR). Through a Memorandum of Agreement, NNSA/NSO is responsible for the oversight of TTR ER projects, and the Sandia Site Office of NNSA (NNSA/SSO) has oversight of all other TTR activities. NNSA/SSO produces the TTR annual environmental report available at http://www.sandia.gov/news/publications/environmental/index.html.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: KiDS Survey for solar system objects mining (Mahlke+, 2018)

Science.gov (United States)

Mahlke, M.; Bouy, H.; Altieri, B.; Verdoes Kleijn, G.; Carry, B.; Bertin, E.; de Jong, J. T. A.; Kuijken, K.; McFarland, J.; Valentijn, E.

2017-10-01

Provided are the observations of the 28,290 SSO candidates recovered from the KiDS survey. The candidates are split up into two subsamples; the first contains 20,221 candidates with an estimated false-positive content of less than 0.05%. The second sample contains 8,069 candidates with only three observations each or close to bright stars, with an estimated false-positive content of approximately 24%. Provided are the recovered positions in right ascension and declination, the observation epochs, the calculated proper motions, the magnitudes, the observation bands, and the object name and expected visual magnitude if the object was matched to a SkyBoT object (entries are empty if no match was found). (2 data files).

Figure-ground segregation can rely on differences in motion direction.

Science.gov (United States)

Kandil, Farid I; Fahle, Manfred

2004-12-01

If the elements within a figure move synchronously while those in the surround move at a different time, the figure is easily segregated from the surround and thus perceived. Lee and Blake (1999) [Visual form created solely from temporal structure. Science, 284, 1165-1168] demonstrated that this figure-ground separation may be based not only on time differences between motion onsets, but also on the differences between reversals of motion direction. However, Farid and Adelson (2001) [Synchrony does not promote grouping in temporally structured displays. Nature Neuroscience, 4, 875-876] argued that figure-ground segregation in the motion-reversal experiment might have been based on a contrast artefact and concluded that (a)synchrony as such was 'not responsible for the perception of form in these or earlier displays'. Here, we present experiments that avoid contrast artefacts but still produce figure-ground segregation based on purely temporal cues. Our results show that subjects can segregate figure from ground even though being unable to use motion reversals as such. Subjects detect the figure when either (i) motion stops (leading to contrast artefacts), or (ii) motion directions differ between figure and ground. Segregation requires minimum delays of about 15 ms. We argue that whatever the underlying cues and mechanisms, a second stage beyond motion detection is required to globally compare the outputs of local motion detectors and to segregate figure from ground. Since analogous changes take place in both figure and ground in rapid succession, this second stage has to detect the asynchrony with high temporal precision.

Uganda's beef industry has for long relied on indigenous cattle ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Animal

growing. The Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries estimated the exotic/crossbred cattle population at 1.3 million, .... Carcass components. Slaughter weight 248.7 250.2 255.0. 3.8. 220.2c. 257.1b. 276.5a. 4.0 ns. ***. Hot carcass weight. 126.7 129.3 130.8. 2.4. 109.6c. 132.3b. 145.0a. 2.5 ns. ***. Hot carcass ...

A Formal Semantics for Concept Understanding relying on Description Logics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Badie, Farshad

2017-01-01

In this research, Description Logics (DLs) will be employed for logical description, logical characterisation, logical modelling and ontological description of concept understanding in terminological systems. It’s strongly believed that using a formal descriptive logic could support us in reveali...... logical assumptions whose discovery may lead us to a better understanding of ‘concept understanding’. The Structure of Observed Learning Outcomes (SOLO) model as an appropriate model of increasing complexity of humans’ understanding has supported the formal analysis....

A Formal Semantics for Concept Understanding relying on Description Logics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Badie, Farshad

2017-01-01

logical assumptions whose discovery may lead us to a better understanding of ‘concept understanding’. The Structure of Observed Learning Outcomes (SOLO) model as an appropriate model of increasing complexity of humans’ understanding has supported the formal analysis.......In this research, Description Logics (DLs) will be employed for logical description, logical characterisation, logical modelling and ontological description of concept understanding in terminological systems. It’s strongly believed that using a formal descriptive logic could support us in revealing...

Intermediation in Foreign Trade: When do Exporters Rely on Intermediaries?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schröder, Philipp J.H.; Trabold, H.; Trübswetter, P.

2005-01-01

The paper explores the question of why trade intermediaries (TIs) are frequently used as agents for exports to some countries but not to others. First, we adapt a standard intra-industry trade model with variable export costs (e.g. transport) and fixed export costs (e.g. market access) to include...... a TI that is able to pool market access cost. This framework suggests explanatory factors for the TI share in a country's exports, which are largely in line with the literature. Second, we test these explanatory factors with a new data set based on French customs information. The paper finds that: (i......) higher market access costs increase the TI share, (ii) smaller export markets feature a larger TI share, (iii) network effects are important determinants of trade intermediation....

Intermediation in Foreign Trade: When do Exporters Rely on Intermediaries?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schröder, Philipp; Trabold, Harald; Trübswetter, Parvati

2003-01-01

The paper explores theoretically and empirically why trade intermediaries (TIs) are frequently used as agents for exports to some countries but not to others. We adapt a standard intra-industry trade model with variable export costs (e.g. transport) and fixed export costs (e.g. market access......) to include a TI that is able to pool market access cost. From this framework explanatory factors for the TI share in a country's exports are derived and subsequently tested with a new data set based on French customs information. The paper finds that: (i) higher market access costs increase the TI share, (ii......) smaller export markets feature a larger TI share, (iii) the TI share is independent from variable (distance-dependent) export costs....

Radiological services pact relies on teamwork and experience [dose management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cruden, D.S.

1988-01-01

Virginia Power has entered into a radiological service agreement with Westinghouse. The contract commits Westinghouse to work in partnership with Virginia Power to improve performance in the areas of radiological protection, decontamination, ALARA, and radioactive waste management. It is expected that the agreement will solve the problems caused by the shortage of qualified contractor personnel during scheduled outages. (U.K.)

Communication des risques reliés aux changements climatiques en ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

1 janv. 2012 ... Il incombe bien sûr aux gouvernements locaux et nationaux de prendre les décisions relatives à l'adaptation aux changements climatiques; ils doivent toutefois les communiquer aux ménages, aux groupes communautaires et aux entreprises privées afin que ceux-ci prennent les décisions qui s'imposent ...

Detection of pressure tube leaks relying on moisture beetles only

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kenchington, J.M.; Choi, A.; Jin, Y.

2004-01-01

A major decision was made for Pickering NGS A Annulus Gas System (ACS) that detection of a pressure tube (PT) leak should be achieved by using only moisture beetles and that dew point monitors would provide 'early warning' without status to shut down the reactor. Experience with Unit 3 has shown that dew point monitoring of pressure tube leaks was particularly subject to gas leaks and surface adsorption effects. Unit 4 was the first one to be converted during the full scale pressure tube replacement programme. Because of the fundamental change in design philosophy, moisture injection tests were carried out during commissioning to demonstrate that performance matched design. In particular it was necessary to show that leak before break (LBB) would be achieved if a leak occurred in the limiting string. Units 1 and 3 have since been converted. No decision has been taken to convert Pickering B units as gas leaks are small and no significant adsorption effects are anticipated. Hence dew point monitoring will not be impaired. (author)

Hepatitis C virus relies on lipoproteins for its life cycle.

Science.gov (United States)

Grassi, Germana; Di Caprio, Giorgia; Fimia, Gian Maria; Ippolito, Giuseppe; Tripodi, Marco; Alonzi, Tonino

2016-02-14

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infects over 150 million people worldwide. In most cases, HCV infection becomes chronic causing liver disease ranging from fibrosis to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Viral persistence and pathogenesis are due to the ability of HCV to deregulate specific host processes, mainly lipid metabolism and innate immunity. In particular, HCV exploits the lipoprotein machineries for almost all steps of its life cycle. The aim of this review is to summarize current knowledge concerning the interplay between HCV and lipoprotein metabolism. We discuss the role played by members of lipoproteins in HCV entry, replication and virion production.

Working memory for conjunctions relies on the medial temporal lobe.

Science.gov (United States)

Olson, Ingrid R; Page, Katie; Moore, Katherine Sledge; Chatterjee, Anjan; Verfaellie, Mieke

2006-04-26

A prominent theory of hippocampal function proposes that the hippocampus is importantly involved in relating or binding together separate pieces of information to form an episodic representation. This hypothesis has only been applied to studies of long-term memory because the paradigmatic view of the hippocampus is that it is not critical for short-term forms of memory. However, relational processing is important in many working memory tasks, especially tasks using visual stimuli. Here, we test the hypothesis that the medial temporal lobes are important for relational memory even over short delays. The task required patients with medial temporal lobe amnesia and controls to remember three objects, locations, or object-location conjunctions over 1 or 8 s delays. The results show that working memory for objects and locations was at normal levels, but that memory for conjunctions was severely impaired at 8 s delays. Additional analyses suggest that the hippocampus per se is critical for accurate conjunction working memory. We propose that the hippocampus is critically involved in memory for conjunctions at both short and long delays.

Biological adhesion of the flatworm Macrostomum lignano relies on a duo-gland system and is mediated by a cell type-specific intermediate filament protein.

Science.gov (United States)

Lengerer, Birgit; Pjeta, Robert; Wunderer, Julia; Rodrigues, Marcelo; Arbore, Roberto; Schärer, Lukas; Berezikov, Eugene; Hess, Michael W; Pfaller, Kristian; Egger, Bernhard; Obwegeser, Sabrina; Salvenmoser, Willi; Ladurner, Peter

2014-02-12

Free-living flatworms, in both marine and freshwater environments, are able to adhere to and release from a substrate several times within a second. This reversible adhesion relies on adhesive organs comprised of three cell types: an adhesive gland cell, a releasing gland cell, and an anchor cell, which is a modified epidermal cell responsible for structural support. However, nothing is currently known about the molecules that are involved in this adhesion process. In this study we present the detailed morphology of the adhesive organs of the free-living marine flatworm Macrostomum lignano. About 130 adhesive organs are located in a horse-shoe-shaped arc along the ventral side of the tail plate. Each organ consists of exactly three cells, an adhesive gland cell, a releasing gland cell, and an anchor cell. The necks of the two gland cells penetrate the anchor cell through a common pore. Modified microvilli of the anchor cell form a collar surrounding the necks of the adhesive- and releasing glands, jointly forming the papilla, the outer visible part of the adhesive organs. Next, we identified an intermediate filament (IF) gene, macif1, which is expressed in the anchor cells. RNA interference mediated knock-down resulted in the first experimentally induced non-adhesion phenotype in any marine animal. Specifically, the absence of intermediate filaments in the anchor cells led to papillae with open tips, a reduction of the cytoskeleton network, a decline in hemidesmosomal connections, and to shortened microvilli containing less actin. Our findings reveal an elaborate biological adhesion system in a free-living flatworm, which permits impressively rapid temporary adhesion-release performance in the marine environment. We demonstrate that the structural integrity of the supportive cell, the anchor cell, is essential for this adhesion process: the knock-down of the anchor cell-specific intermediate filament gene resulted in the inability of the animals to adhere. The RNAi

Frequency modulation system test procedure shuttle task 501 approach and landing test configuration

Science.gov (United States)

Doland, G. D.

1976-01-01

Shuttle Task 501 is an in-line task to test the performance and compatibility of radiofrequency links between the SSO and ground, and relay via a satellite. Under Shuttle Task 501 approach and landing test (ALT) phase only a limited portion of the communication and tracking (C&T) equipment is to be tested. The principal item to be tested is a frequency modulated (FM) data link. To test this RF link, an ALT FM System was designed, constructed, and the console wiring verified. A step-by-step procedure to be used to perform the ALT FM system is presented. The ALT FM system test is to be performed prior to delivery of the equipment to the Electronic Systems Test Laboratory (ESTL).

Field tests of Sub-Synchronous Oscillation damping and frequency controllers of the Rihand-Delhi HVDC bipole

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Prasad, Mata [ABB, New Delhi (India); Rao, L V; Chakravorty, S; Moni, R S; Dass, R [National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd., New Delhi (India); Mishra, R B; Tripathi, D B [Powergrid (India); Bjorklund, Hans; Duchen, Hugo; Westling, Soren [ABB Power Systems, Ludvika (Sweden)

1994-12-31

The Rihand-Delhi Hvdc transmission system comprises of two poles in bipolar mode, each of 750 MW nominal capacity. The length of the transmission line is 814 km and the main objective of the link is the transmission of bulk power from the Singrauli/Rihand thermal generating complex to the major load centers near the National Capital region. As in all major Hvdc schemes, the Rihand-Delhi Hvdc project has also been provided with a SSO damping controller which was extensively tested in the simulator prior to installation. This paper describes some of the important field tests conducted to ascertain actual performance and compares the same with corresponding simulator cases. Also covered is the performance of the frequency controller. (author) 3 refs., 9 figs.

Asteroid Observations with NCSFCT’s AZT-8 Telescope

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kozhukhov, O.M.

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The asteroid observations of the small Solar System bodies were carried out with the AZT-8 telescope (D=0.7 m, f/4 of the National Center of Space Facilities Control and Testing (NCSFCT during 2010-2013. The telescope is located near Yevpatoria, the observatory code according IAU is B17. The observational program included perturbed main belt asteroids and NEO’s for the GAIA FUN-SSO Company. The MPC database contains more than 4500 asteroids positions and magnitudes obtained during this period at AZT-8 telescope. The article presents analysis of the positional accuracy of B17 observations obtained from the comparison with the JPL HORIZONS ephemeris, and data from AstDyS-2 and NEODyS-2 web services.

An optimized single chain TCR scaffold relying on the assembly with the native CD3-complex prevents residual mispairing with endogenous TCRs in human T-cells

Science.gov (United States)

Knies, Diana; Klobuch, Sebastian; Xue, Shao-An; Birtel, Matthias; Echchannaoui, Hakim; Yildiz, Oezlem; Omokoko, Tana; Guillaume, Philippe; Romero, Pedro; Stauss, Hans; Sahin, Ugur; Herr, Wolfgang; Theobald, Matthias; Thomas, Simone; Voss, Ralf-Holger

2016-01-01

Immunotherapy of cancer envisions the adoptive transfer of T-cells genetically engineered with tumor-specific heterodimeric α/β T-cell receptors (TCRα/β). However, potential mispairing of introduced TCRα/β-chains with endogenous β/α-ones may evoke unpredictable autoimmune reactivities. A novel single chain (sc)TCR format relies on the fusion of the Vα-Linker-Vβ-fragment to the TCR Cβ-domain and coexpression of the TCR Cα-domain capable of recruiting the natural CD3-complex for full and hence, native T-cell signaling. Here, we tested whether such a gp100(280-288)- or p53(264-272) tumor antigen-specific scTCR is still prone to mispairing with TCRα. In a human Jurkat-76 T-cell line lacking endogenous TCRs, surface expression and function of a scTCR could be reconstituted by any cointroduced TCRα-chain indicating mispairing to take place on a molecular basis. In contrast, transduction into human TCRα/β-positive T-cells revealed that mispairing is largely reduced. Competition experiments in Jurkat-76 confirmed the preference of dcTCR to selfpair and to spare scTCR. This also allowed for the generation of dc/scTCR-modified cytomegalovirus/tumor antigen-bispecific T-cells to augment T-cell activation in CMV-infected tumor patients. Residual mispairing was prevented by strenghtening the Vα-Li-Vβ-fragment through the design of a novel disulfide bond between a Vα- and a linker-resident residue close to Vβ. Multimer-stainings, and cytotoxicity-, IFNγ-secretion-, and CFSE-proliferation-assays, the latter towards dendritic cells endogenously processing RNA-electroporated gp100 antigen proved the absence of hybrid scTCR/TCRα-formation without impairing avidity of scTCR/Cα in T-cells. Moreover, a fragile cytomegalovirus pp65(495-503)-specific scTCR modified this way acquired enhanced cytotoxicity. Thus, optimized scTCR/Cα inhibits residual TCR mispairing to accomplish safe adoptive immunotherapy for bulk endogenous TCRα/β-positive T-cells. PMID:27028870

Haber Üretiminde Göreli Özerklik Problemi: Bir Saha Araştırması / The Relative Autonomy Problem in Newsmaking Process: A Field Research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Deniz Tansel İLİC

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Kültürel simgelerin üretim sürecinde görev yapan enformasyon işçilerinin özerkliği, sosyal bilimler açısından önemli bir tartışma konusudur. Üretim sürecini sadece sahiplik üzerinden değerlendiren yaklaşımlar, mülkiyet ilişkilerinin, simge üreticisinin özerklik alanını tamamen kısıtlayacağını savunurlar. Yine de, zihinsel emekleri ile çalışan simge üreticilerinin, belli oranda özerkliğe sahip olduğu iddiası sınamaya değerdir. Bu çalışmada, David Hesmondhalgh ve Mike Wayne’deki göreli özerklik vurgusundan yola çıkarak, Türkiye’de anaakım televizyon haberciliğinde bir saha araştırması yapılmıştır. Fox TV, TGRT Haber ve Kanal D’de gerçekleştirilen katılımlı gözlemlerle, birer simge üreticisi olan habercilerin, hangi oranda özerk oldukları saptanmaya çalışılmıştır. / The autonomy of information workers who work in the production process of cultural symbols is an important issue for social sciences. The approaches that evaluate the production process only in the context of ownership claim that these relationships will restrain the autonomy field of the symbol producer. Still the suggestion that symbol producers who work with their mental labours have a certain amount of autonomy is worth testing. In this study a field research is conducted in mainstream broadcasting in Turkey by using the relative autonomy emphasis in David Hesmondhalgh and Mike Wayne as a starting point. In the participant observation that is conducted in Fox TV, TGRT Haber and Kanal D Televisions it is tried to determine at what level the journalists as symbol producers are autonomous.

Enabling Eco-Friendly Choices by Relying on the Proportional-Thinking Heuristic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cleotilde Gonzalez

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Ecological (eco taxes are promising mechanisms to enable eco-friendly decisions, but few people prefer them. In this study, we present a way in which eco-tax options may be communicated to general public to encourage their payment. Our implementation (called “information presentation” takes advantage of the non-linear relationship between eco-tax payments and CO2 emissions and the human reliance on the proportional-thinking heuristic. According to the proportional-thinking heuristic, people are likely to prefer a small eco-tax increase and judge larger eco-tax increases to cause proportionally greater CO2 emissions reductions. In an online study, participants were asked to choose between eco-tax increases in two problems: In one, a smaller eco-tax increase resulted in greater CO2 emissions reduction, while in the other, a smaller tax increase resulted in lesser CO2 emissions reduction. Although the larger eco-tax increase did not reduce CO2 emissions the most, across both problems, people judged larger eco-tax increases to cause proportionally greater reductions in CO2 emissions and preferred smaller tax increases. Thus, eco-tax policies would benefit by presenting information in terms of eco-tax increases, such that smaller eco-tax increases (which are more attractive and are likely to be chosen by people cause greater CO2 emissions reductions.

Place preference and vocal learning rely on distinct reinforcers in songbirds.

Science.gov (United States)

Murdoch, Don; Chen, Ruidong; Goldberg, Jesse H

2018-04-30

In reinforcement learning (RL) agents are typically tasked with maximizing a single objective function such as reward. But it remains poorly understood how agents might pursue distinct objectives at once. In machines, multiobjective RL can be achieved by dividing a single agent into multiple sub-agents, each of which is shaped by agent-specific reinforcement, but it remains unknown if animals adopt this strategy. Here we use songbirds to test if navigation and singing, two behaviors with distinct objectives, can be differentially reinforced. We demonstrate that strobe flashes aversively condition place preference but not song syllables. Brief noise bursts aversively condition song syllables but positively reinforce place preference. Thus distinct behavior-generating systems, or agencies, within a single animal can be shaped by correspondingly distinct reinforcement signals. Our findings suggest that spatially segregated vocal circuits can solve a credit assignment problem associated with multiobjective learning.

Why science? to know, to understand, and to rely on results

CERN Document Server

Newton, Roger G

2012-01-01

This book aims to describe, for readers uneducated in science, the development of humanity's desire to know and understand the world around us through the various stages of its development to the present, when science is almost universally recognized - at least in the Western world - as the most reliable way of knowing. The book describes the history of the large-scale exploration of the surface of the earth by sea, beginning with the Vikings and the Chinese, and of the unknown interiors of the American and African continents by foot and horseback. After the invention of the telescope, visual exploration of the surfaces of the Moon and Mars were made possible, and finally a visit to the Moon. The book then turns to our legacy from the ancient Greeks of wanting to understand rather than just know, and why the scientific way of understanding is valued. For concreteness, it relates the lives and accomplishments of six great scientists, four from the nineteenth century and two from the twentieth. Finally, the boo...

Ants learn to rely on more informative attributes during decision-making.

Science.gov (United States)

Sasaki, Takao; Pratt, Stephen C

2013-01-01

Evolutionary theory predicts that animals act to maximize their fitness when choosing among a set of options, such as what to eat or where to live. Making the best choice is challenging when options vary in multiple attributes, and animals have evolved a variety of heuristics to simplify the task. Many of these involve ranking or weighting attributes according to their importance. Because the importance of attributes can vary across time and place, animals might benefit by adjusting weights accordingly. Here, we show that colonies of the ant Temnothorax rugatulus use their experience during nest site selection to increase weights on more informative nest attributes. These ants choose their rock crevice nests on the basis of multiple features. After exposure to an environment where only one attribute differentiated options, colonies increased their reliance on this attribute relative to a second attribute. Although many species show experience-based changes in selectivity based on a single feature, this is the first evidence in animals for adaptive changes in the weighting of multiple attributes. These results show that animal collectives, like individuals, change decision-making strategies according to experience. We discuss how these colony-level changes might emerge from individual behaviour.

Skipping of Chinese characters does not rely on word-based processing.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Nan; Angele, Bernhard; Hua, Huimin; Shen, Wei; Zhou, Junyi; Li, Xingshan

2018-02-01

Previous eye-movement studies have indicated that people tend to skip extremely high-frequency words in sentence reading, such as "the" in English and "/de" in Chinese. Two alternative hypotheses have been proposed to explain how this frequent skipping happens in Chinese reading: one assumes that skipping happens when the preview has been fully identified at the word level (word-based skipping); the other assumes that skipping happens whenever the preview character is easy to identify regardless of whether lexical processing has been completed or not (character-based skipping). Using the gaze-contingent display change paradigm, we examined the two hypotheses by substituting the preview of the third character of a four-character Chinese word with the high-frequency Chinese character "/de", which should disrupt the ongoing word-level processing. The character-based skipping hypothesis predicts that this manipulation will enhance the skipping probability of the target character (i.e., the third character of the target word), because the character "/de" has much higher character frequency than the original character. The word-based skipping hypothesis instead predicts a reduction of the skipping probability of the target character because the presence of the character "/de" is lexically infelicitous at word level. The results supported the character-based skipping hypothesis, indicating that in Chinese reading the decision of skipping a character can be made before integrating it into a word.

Risk factors of neurosensory disturbance following orthognathic surgery.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Albraa Badr Alolayan

Full Text Available OBJECTIVES: To report the incidence of objective and subjective neurosensory disturbance (NSD after orthognathic surgery in a major orthognathic centre in Hong Kong, and to investigate the risk factors that contributed to the incidence of NSD after orthognathic surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective cross-sectional study on NSD after orthognathic surgery in a local major orthognathic centre. Patients who had bimaxillary orthognathic surgery reviewed at post-operative 6 months, 12 months or 24 months were recruited to undergo neurosensory tests with subjective and 3 objective assessments. Possible risk factors of NSD including subjects' age and gender, surgical procedures and surgeons' experience were analyzed. RESULTS: 238 patients with 476 sides were recruited. The incidences of subjective NSD after maxillary procedures were 16.2%, 13% and 9.8% at post-operative 6 months, 12 months and 24 months, respectively; the incidences of subjective NSD after mandibular procedures were 35.4%, 36.6% and 34.6% at post-operative 6 months, 12 months and 24 months, respectively. Increased age was found to be a significant risk factor of NSD after orthognathic surgery at short term (at 6 months and 12 months but not at 24 months. SSO has a significantly higher risk of NSD when compared to VSSO. SSO in combination with anterior mandibular surgery has a higher risk of NSD when compared to VSSO in combination with anterior mandibular surgery or anterior mandibular surgery alone. Gender of patients and surgeons' experience were not found to be risk factors of NSD after orthognathic surgery. CONCLUSION: The incidence of NSD after maxillary and mandibular orthognathic procedures at post-operative 6 months, 12 months and 24 months was reported. Increased age was identified as a risk factor of short term post-operative NSD but not in long term (24 months or more. Specific mandibular procedures were related to higher incidence of NSD after orthognathic surgery.

Motions and magnetic fields in the solar atmosphere

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Krat, V A [AN SSSR, Leningrad. Glavnaya Astronomicheskaya Observatoriya

1977-09-01

The measured magnetic fields generally cannot be regarded as ''mean'' values of the magnetic field intensity H due to depolarization effects in the sum of the Zeeman components of small elements. A picture of smallest magnetic elements in the photosphere can be identified with the photospheric network of the granulation. A relatively long lifetime of the elements of this network and characteristics of its evolution show that a magnetic field of H > or approximately = 10/sup 2/ Oe is concentrated in the dark network between granules near to the solar disc center. Direct measurements of H in solar prominences give values of H ranging from 10 to 10/sup 2/ Oe. At their boundary they cannot be smaller than 10/sup 2/ Oe. The chromospheric elements seen in the center of H/sub a/ (spectrograms obtained on the solar stratospheric observatory (SSO) in 1970-1973) are about four times wider than photospheric elements. The growth in size of the structure elements from the photosphere to the chromosphere results from the magnetic expansion of elements floating up in the atmosphere. On the basis of the stratospheric and best filter observations it is shown that typical configurations of the field are magnetic arcs. Sunspots are considered as stationary processes dissipating due to magnetohydrodynamic instabilities. They have (observations on the SSO) considerable regions of a homogeneous magnetic field inside the umbra. The complicated system of twisted magnetic ropes in outer parts of the umbra and penumbra results from the dissipation of the main configuration. The most plausible model of a sunspot seems to be a twisted toroid with a steady magnetic field directed along the axis of symmetry inside the toroid. This model explains the fact of appearance of a secondary sunspot group inside the primary main group. The axis of the sunspot toroid always remains in the photosphere. Some properties of ''super-granules'' and ''giant granules'' are discussed.

Nevada National Security Site Environmental Report 2012

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wills, Cathy

2013-09-11

responsible for the oversight of these ER projects, and the Sandia Site Office of NNSA (NNSA/SSO) has oversight of all other TTR and NTTR activities. NNSA/SSO produces the TTR annual environmental report available at http://www.sandia.gov/news/publications/environmental/index.html.

The Password Problem

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Walkup, Elizabeth [Stanford Univ., CA (United States)

2016-06-01

Passwords are an ubiquitous, established part of the Internet today, but they are also a huge security headache. Single sign-on, OAuth, and password managers are some of the solutions to this problem. OAuth is a new, popular method that allows people to use large, common authentication providers for many web applications. However, it comes at the expense of some privacy: OAuth makes users easy to track across websites, applications, and devices. Password managers put the power in the hands of the users, but this vulnerability survey reveals that you have to be extremely careful which program you choose. All in all, password managers are the solution of choice for home users and small organizations, but large companies will probably want to invest in their own SSO solutions.

A new technique for mandibular osteotomy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Puricelli Edela

2007-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Sagittal split osteotomy (SSO is a surgical technique largely employed for mandibular mobilizations in orthognatic procedures. However, the traditional design of buccal osteotomy, located at the junction of mandibular ramus and body, may prevent more extensive sliding between the bone segments, particularly on the advance, laterality and verticality of the mandibular body. The author proposes a new technical and conceptual solution, in which osteotomy is performed in a more distal region, next to the mental formamen. Technically, the area of contact between medullary-cancellous bone surfaces is increased, resulting in larger sliding rates among bone segments; it also facilitates the use of rigid fixation systems, with miniplates and monocortical screws. Conceptually, it interferes with the resistance arm of the mandible, seen as an interpotent lever of the third gender.

Hedgehog Buckyball: A High-Symmetry Complete Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane (POSS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu Hu

2016-08-01

Full Text Available In this study, we report UV-MALDI-TOF MS evidence of a fullerene-like silsesquioxane, a high-symmetry polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS or SSO formulated as R60-Si60O90 or T60 (T = RSiO1.5. The T60 preparation can be performed using a normal hydrolytic condensation of [(3-methacryloxypropyl]trimethoxysilane (MPMS as an example. Theoretically, four 3sp3 hybrid orbitals (each containing an unpaired electron of a Si atom are generated before the bond formation. Then it bonds to another four atom electrons using the four generated hybrid orbitals which produced a stable configuration. This fullerene-like silsesquioxane should exhibit much more functionality, activity and selectivity and is easier to assemble than the double bonds in a fullerene.

Geology and petrography of basement in south extreme in Sierra Grande de San Luis, Argentina

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morosini, A.; Ortiz Suarez, A.

2007-01-01

In the south of the Sierra de San Luis is recognized a basement composed by La Escalerilla and Los Puquios granites, accompanied by schist, mylonite s and mafic-ultramafic rocks. The schists, La Escalerilla granite and the mafic -ultramafic rocks are affected by a regional metamorphism in anphibolites facies, the two first present a N-S foliation di ping to east. The mylonite s correspond to a second event of deformation, distributed in thin belts of NNE-SSO direction and inclination to east, developed in green schist to anphibolites facies. Los Puquios granite represents the more young of the basement rocks and the intrusion was associated with a shear zone. Los Puquios granite forms dikes and small plutons cutting La Escalerilla granite and micas chits in high cortical levels

Authentication and Authorization of End User in Microservice Architecture

Science.gov (United States)

He, Xiuyu; Yang, Xudong

2017-10-01

As the market and business continues to expand; the traditional single monolithic architecture is facing more and more challenges. The development of cloud computing and container technology promote microservice architecture became more popular. While the low coupling, fine granularity, scalability, flexibility and independence of the microservice architecture bring convenience, the inherent complexity of the distributed system make the security of microservice architecture important and difficult. This paper aims to study the authentication and authorization of the end user under the microservice architecture. By comparing with the traditional measures and researching on existing technology, this paper put forward a set of authentication and authorization strategies suitable for microservice architecture, such as distributed session, SSO solutions, client-side JSON web token and JWT + API Gateway, and summarize the advantages and disadvantages of each method.

Oxygen and sulfur isotope systematics of sulfate produced during abiotic and bacterial oxidation of sphalerite and elemental sulfur

Science.gov (United States)

Balci, N.; Mayer, B.; Shanks, Wayne C.; Mandernack, K.W.

2012-01-01

Studies of metal sulfide oxidation in acid mine drainage (AMD) systems have primarily focused on pyrite oxidation, although acid soluble sulfides (e.g., ZnS) are predominantly responsible for the release of toxic metals. We conducted a series of biological and abiotic laboratory oxidation experiments with pure and Fe-bearing sphalerite (ZnS & Zn 0.88Fe 0.12S), respectively, in order to better understand the effects of sulfide mineralogy and associated biogeochemical controls of oxidation on the resultant ?? 34S and ?? 18O values of the sulfate produced. The minerals were incubated in the presence and absence of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans at an initial solution pH of 3 and with water of varying ?? 18O values to determine the relative contributions of H 2O-derived and O 2-derived oxygen in the newly formed sulfate. Experiments were conducted under aerobic and anaerobic conditions using O 2 and Fe(III) aq as the oxidants, respectively. Aerobic incubations with A. ferrooxidans, and S o as the sole energy source were also conducted. The ??34SSO4 values from both the biological and abiotic oxidation of ZnS and ZnS Fe by Fe(III) aq produced sulfur isotope fractionations (??34SSO4-ZnS) of up to -2.6???, suggesting the accumulation of sulfur intermediates during incomplete oxidation of the sulfide. No significant sulfur isotope fractionation was observed from any of the aerobic experiments. Negative sulfur isotope enrichment factors (??34SSO4-ZnS) in AMD systems could reflect anaerobic, rather than aerobic pathways of oxidation. During the biological and abiotic oxidation of ZnS and ZnS Fe by Fe(III) aq all of the sulfate oxygen was derived from water, with measured ?? 18OSO 4-H 2O values of 8.2??0.2??? and 7.5??0.1???, respectively. Also, during the aerobic oxidation of ZnS Fe and S o by A. ferrooxidans, all of the sulfate oxygen was derived from water with similar measured ?? 18OSO 4-H 2O values of 8.1??0.1??? and 8.3??0.3???, respectively. During biological oxidation

Isolation of microsatellite loci from the lesser long-nosed bat (Leptonycteris yerbuenae)

Science.gov (United States)

Ramirez, Judith; Munguia-Vega, A.; Culver, Melanie

2011-01-01

Leptonycteris yerbabuenae is a nectarivore (subfamily: Glossophaginae, family: Phyllostomidae), is found from southern Arizona/southwestern New Mexico to southern Mexico including the Baja California peninsula (Ceballos et al.1997; Cockrum 1991).Leptonycteris yerbabuenae is listed as endangered in the United States (Shull 1988) and threatened in Mexico (SEMARNAT 2002). They migrate up to 1,800 km between wintering and breeding grounds (Fleming and Eby 2001). Females mate in the winter in southern Mexico, and migrate to maternity roosts in northern Mexico/southern Arizona to give birth in late spring-early summer (Ceballos et al.1997; Cockrum 1991). Wilkinson and Fleming (1996) have suggested two separate migration corridors where bats occupy southeastern Arizona and southwestern Arizona arrive and leave through separate corridors. We isolated 12 microsatellites loci to estimate gene flow between southwestern and southeastern Arizona roosts, as well as Sonora, Baja California, and Jalisco, Mexico.Genomic DNA was extracted using the DNeasy Blood & Tissue Kit (Qiagen). Approximately 5 μg of genomic DNA was digested with RsaI (NEB) and fragments were ligated to double-stranded SuperSNX-24 linkers to construct an enriched genomic DNA library using a modified version of Glenn and Schable (2005). Linker-ligated fragments ranging from 300–1400 bp were recovered using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with a SuperSNX-24 forward primer and Platinum high-fidelity Taq DNA polymerase (Invitrogen), and were hybridized to 5′-biotinylated microsatellite oligonucleotide probes (GT)15, (CT)15, (GATA)10 and (GACA)8. Hybridized fragments were captured on streptavidin-coated paramagnetic beads (Dynal) and then recovered by PCR. These fragments were ligated into the vector PCR4-TOPO (Invitrogen), and transformed into TOP10 chemically competent E. coli cells (Invitrogen) following the manufacturer’s protocol.

The Application of Stable Isotopes for Assessing the Hydrological, Sulfur, and Iron Balances of Acidic Mining Lake ML 111 (Lusatia, Germany) as a Basis for Biotechnological Remediation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knoeller, K.; Strauch, G.

2002-01-01

Stable isotope (δ 18 O-H 2 O, δ 2 H-H 2 O δ 34 S-SO 4 2- ) and hydrochemical data (SO 4 2- , Fe-concentrations) have been used to estimate the annual groundwater inflow and outflow of mining lake ML 111 and to calculate the total amount of dissolved sulfate and iron that is carried into the lake by groundwater. The hydrological balance suggests an annual groundwater inflow of 23 700 m 3 and an annual groundwater outflow of 15 700 m 3 . The calculation of the sulfur and iron balances yielded an annual sulfate input of 37 800 kg and an annual iron input of 7000 kg with the groundwater inflow. Furthermore it was shown that significant fluxes of these elements go into the lake sediments which results in continuous release of acidity in the lake water

Methods and materials for deconstruction of biomass for biofuels production

Science.gov (United States)

Schoeniger, Joseph S; Hadi, Masood Zia

2015-05-05

The present invention relates to nucleic acids, peptides, vectors, cells, and plants useful in the production of biofuels. In certain embodiments, the invention relates to nucleic acid sequences and peptides from extremophile organisms, such as SSO1949 and Ce1A, that are useful for hydrolyzing plant cell wall materials. In further embodiments, the invention relates to modified versions of such sequences that have been optimized for production in one or both of monocot and dicot plants. In other embodiments, the invention provides for targeting peptide production or activity to a certain location within the cell or organism, such as the apoplast. In further embodiments, the invention relates to transformed cells or plants. In additional embodiments, the invention relates to methods of producing biofuel utilizing such nucleic acids, peptides, targeting sequences, vectors, cells, and/or plants.

Calendar year 2004 annual site environmental report:Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Montoya, Amber L.; Goering, Teresa Lynn; Wagner, Katrina; Koss, Susan I.; Salinas, Stephanie A.

2005-09-01

Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico (SNL/NM) is a government-owned, contractor-operated facility owned by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and managed by the Sandia Site Office (SSO), Albuquerque, New Mexico. Sandia Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, operates SNL/NM. This annual report summarizes data and the compliance status of Sandia Corporation's environmental protection and monitoring programs through December 31, 2004. Major environmental programs include air quality, water quality, groundwater protection, terrestrial surveillance, waste management, pollution prevention (P2), environmental restoration (ER), oil and chemical spill prevention, and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Environmental monitoring and surveillance programs are required by DOE Order 450.1, Environmental Protection Program (DOE 2005) and DOE Order 231.1A, Environment, Safety, and Health Reporting (DOE 2004a). (DOE 2004a).

[Decontamination of organophosphorus compounds: Towards new alternatives].

Science.gov (United States)

Poirier, L; Jacquet, P; Elias, M; Daudé, D; Chabrière, E

2017-05-01

Organophosphorus coumpounds (OP) are toxic chemicals mainly used for agricultural purpose such as insecticides and were also developed and used as warfare nerve agents. OP are inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase, a key enzyme involved in the regulation of the central nervous system. Chemical, physical and biological approaches have been considered to decontaminate OP. This review summarizes the current and emerging strategies that are investigated to tackle this issue with a special emphasis on enzymatic remediation methods. During the last decade, many studies have been dedicated to the development of biocatalysts for OP removal. Among these, recent reports have pointed out the promising enzyme SsoPox isolated from the archaea Sulfolobus solfataricus. Considering both its intrinsic stability and activity, this hyperthermostable enzyme is highly appealing for the decontamination of OP. Copyright © 2017 Académie Nationale de Pharmacie. All rights reserved.

Current and emerging strategies for organophosphate decontamination: special focus on hyperstable enzymes.

Science.gov (United States)

Jacquet, Pauline; Daudé, David; Bzdrenga, Janek; Masson, Patrick; Elias, Mikael; Chabrière, Eric

2016-05-01

Organophosphorus chemicals are highly toxic molecules mainly used as pesticides. Some of them are banned warfare nerve agents. These compounds are covalent inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase, a key enzyme in central and peripheral nervous systems. Numerous approaches, including chemical, physical, and biological decontamination, have been considered for developing decontamination methods against organophosphates (OPs). This work is an overview of both validated and emerging strategies for the protection against OP pollution with special attention to the use of decontaminating enzymes. Considerable efforts have been dedicated during the past decades to the development of efficient OP degrading biocatalysts. Among these, the promising biocatalyst SsoPox isolated from the archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus is emphasized in the light of recently published results. This hyperthermostable enzyme appears to be particularly attractive for external decontamination purposes with regard to both its catalytic and stability properties.

Developing Access Control Model of Web OLAP over Trusted and Collaborative Data Warehouses

Science.gov (United States)

Fugkeaw, Somchart; Mitrpanont, Jarernsri L.; Manpanpanich, Piyawit; Juntapremjitt, Sekpon

This paper proposes the design and development of Role- based Access Control (RBAC) model for the Single Sign-On (SSO) Web-OLAP query spanning over multiple data warehouses (DWs). The model is based on PKI Authentication and Privilege Management Infrastructure (PMI); it presents a binding model of RBAC authorization based on dimension privilege specified in attribute certificate (AC) and user identification. Particularly, the way of attribute mapping between DW user authentication and privilege of dimensional access is illustrated. In our approach, we apply the multi-agent system to automate flexible and effective management of user authentication, role delegation as well as system accountability. Finally, the paper culminates in the prototype system A-COLD (Access Control of web-OLAP over multiple DWs) that incorporates the OLAP features and authentication and authorization enforcement in the multi-user and multi-data warehouse environment.

An Investigation on the impact of using problem-based trainings in the in-service courses on the teachers' performance and capabilities, by relying on the elementary sixth grade mathematics book (case study: the city of Ahvaz

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pari Cheraq

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Changes in the administrative structure of the education system and the need to coordinate with the world of science and technology and hence, the need to update the general and technical information and knowledge, have doubled the importance and necessity of holding the new and efficient in-service trainings for the teachers. In this study, the attempt was taken to examine and analyze the impact of using problem-based trainings during the in-service courses on the teachers' performance and capabilities, by relying on the mathematics book of the sixth grade elementary level (case study: the city of Ahvaz. To do so, using a quasi-experimental study, 37 teachers of the sixth grade were selected from the elementary schools of Ahvaz city. For the in-service training courses on the teaching of mathematics, the problem-based learning method was used. After conducting the problem-based teaching method and the traditional method of teaching, through using the test and the standard questionnaire, the data about the teaching practice and the capabilities of the teachers were collected. Using t-test for the paired and independent samples, it was demonstrated that the problem-based in-service trainings, enhance the teachers' capabilities and performance regarding the problem-solving skills.

Okuma Gelişiminde Üst Dil Farkındalığı, Sesbilgisel Süreçler ve Bellek Süreçlerinin Etkisi: Kısa Süreli Bellek ve Çalışma Belleği

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Filiz Sayar

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Bu makalede, alanyazında okuma gelişimini belirleyen üstdil farkındalığı, sesbilgisel beceriler ile bellek işlevlerine yer veren araştırmalar incelenmiştir. Bu bilişsel süreçler, karmaşık bir süreç olan okuma gelişimini farklı şekilde etkilemektedir. Bu makalede ele alınan araştırmalarda, başarılı bir okuma performansı için üstdil farkındalığının gerekli olduğu sonucuna ulaşılırken; üstdil farkındalığı becerilerinden sesbilgisel farkındalığın okumanın en güçlü yordayıcısı olduğu konusunda fikirbirliği sağlanmıştır. Okuma gelişimi ile kısa-süreli bellek ve çalışma belleği ilişkisini inceleyen araştırmalar ise, çalışma belleğinin kısa-süreli belleğe göre okumada daha etkili olduğu yönünde bulgular elde etmişlerdir. Diğer yandan, okuma gelişimi konusunda çalışmalarını yürüten bazı araştırmacılar, okumanın çok yönlü ve çoklu-etkenli olması nedeniyle okuma gelişimini belirleyecek tek ve en güçlü bilişsel etmenin bulunamayacağını ifade etmişlerdir. The research in the literature dealing with metalinguistic awareness, phonological abilities and memory functions determinig reading development were examined in this article. These cognitive processes determine differently reading that is a complicated process. The research stated in this article suggested that metalinguistic awareness was crucial for successful reading performance and agreed that phonological awareness one of the metalinguistic abilities was the most powerful predictor of reading. The research examining short-term memory and working memory with reading development obtained some evidence that working memory was more influential on reading than short-term memory. On the other hand, some researchers searching on reading development stated that unique and the most powerful cognitive factor predicting reading development could not be found because reading was multidirectional and

Cochrane and its prospects in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Relying on Cochrane Croatia.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahmić-Kaknjo, Mersiha; Puljak, Livia; Markotić, Filipa; Fidahić, Mahir; Muhamedagić, Lejla; Zakarija-Grković, Irena

2015-01-01

In this article we describe Cochrane and its products: Cochrane systematic reviews (CSRs) and other Cochrane evidence. Cochrane is a unique, international, non-profit organisation that offers health care providers, health care consumers and other decision makers unbiased and highly reliable information on health, which is pivotal for conscientious and responsible decision making in overall healthcare. Cochrane offers the highest ranked evidence in Evidence Based Medicine (EBM)--systematic reviews. Currently, CSRs are freely available in BH, and therefore, they ought to be widely used, and understood. We will present the new Cochrane Strategy to 2020, which was the main topic of the 6th Croatian Cochrane Symposium (CroCoS), as well as explore prospects for spreading Cochrane activities to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BH), through collaboration with Cochrane Croatia. BH has no officially organized Cochrane activity, as yet. We hope that this article will raise awareness about Cochrane in BH, help promote its activities, and deepen the existing collaboration with Cochrane Croatia. There are already some changes being introduced concerning Cochrane--at least, in one half, the Federation of BH (FBH). Two documents symbolising official recognition of policy changes towards Cochrane have recently been published in the Official Gazette of FBH. Since founding a BH Cochrane Branch would be costly and difficult to achieve in a complicated environment, such as the one we have, BH could use the good will, experience, knowledge, and translated educational, training and web materials of Cochrane Croatia, particularly given the language similarities, to promote evidence based medicine in BH. Copyright © 2015 by Academy of Sciences and Arts of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

A data model for simulation models relying on spatio-temporal urban data

OpenAIRE

Langlois , G ,; Tourre , Vincent; Servières , Myriam; Gervais , G ,; Gesquière , Gilles

2016-01-01

International audience; To understand the complexity of modern cities and anticipate their expansion, experts from various fields conceive simulation models that can be very different. Those simulation models work with a variety of data with their own organization. Furthermore, because the urban objects are studied in the context of the evolution of a city or urban area, they carry temporal and spatial information. In this paper, we present the base classes of a common data model robust and f...

Does the applicability of Bacillus strains in probiotics rely upon their taxonomy?

Science.gov (United States)

Safronova, L A; Zelena, L B; Klochko, V V; Reva, O N

2012-02-01

The taxonomic position and biological activities of two Bacillus strains used in veterinary probiotics were studied in this work. These microorganisms inhibit growth of a broad spectrum of pathogenic cultures. They synthesize proteolytic enzymes and other biologically active metabolites, and to some extent, supplement each other with probiotic activities. It is not clear whether these versatile activities are properties of individual strains or bacterial taxa as whole. 16S rRNA comparisons were conducted and illustrated the relatedness of these strains to Bacillus amyloliquefaciens . Their cell wall fatty acid contents were consequently analysed and specified a relation to the " Bacillus velezensis " ecomorph. On account of the previous observations, a simple method of 16S rRNA profiling by polymorphic nucleotides was proposed to determine a group of organisms closely related to "B. velezensis" and B. amyloliquefaciens subsp. plantarum, for they are biologically active strains suitable for use in biotechnology. The extreme genetic plasticity of these bacteria endowed each strain with a unique spectrum of antagonistic activity.

Wide dispersal of aphid-pathogenic Entomophthorales among aphids relies upon migratory alates.

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Ming-Guang; Chen, Chun; Chen, Bin

2004-05-01

Entomophthoralean mycoses are of general importance in the natural control of aphids, but mechanisms involved in their dissemination are poorly understood. Despite several possible means of fungal survival, the dispersal of the mycoses in aphids has never been related to the flight of their migratory alates that are able to locate suitable host plants. In this study, aphid-pathogenic fungi proved to be widely disseminated among various aphids by their alates through migratory flight based on the following findings. First, up to 36.6% of the 7139 migratory alates (including nine species of vegetable or cereal aphids) trapped from air > 30 m above the ground in three provinces of China were found bearing eight species of fungal pathogens. Of those, six were aphid-specific Entomophthorales dominated in individual cases by Pandora neoaphidis, which occurs globally but has no resting spores discovered to date. Secondly, infected alates were confirmed to be able to fly for hours, to initiate colonies on plants after flight and to transmit fungal infection to their offspring in a laboratory experiment, in which 238 Sitobion avenae alates were individually flown in a computer-monitoring flight mill system after exposure to a spore shower of P. neoaphidis and then allowed to colonize host plants.

Arsenate tolerance in Silene paradoxa does not rely on phytochelatin-dependent sequestration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arnetoli, Miluscia; Vooijs, Riet; Bookum, Wilma ten; Galardi, Francesca; Gonnelli, Cristina; Gabbrielli, Roberto; Schat, Henk; Verkleij, Jos A.C.

2008-01-01

Arsenate tolerance, As accumulation and As-induced phytochelatin accumulation were compared in populations of Silene paradoxa, one from a mine site enriched in As, Cu and Zn, the other from an uncontaminated site. The mine population was significantly more arsenate-tolerant. Arsenate uptake and root-to-shoot transport were slightly but significantly higher in the non-mine plants. The difference in uptake was quantitatively insufficient to explain the difference in tolerance between the populations. As accumulation in the roots was similar in both populations, but the mine plants accumulated much less phytochelatins than the non-mine plants. The mean phytochelatin chain length, however, was higher in the mine population, possibly due to a constitutively lower cellular glutathione level. It is argued that the mine plants must possess an arsenic detoxification mechanism other than arsenate reduction and subsequent phytochelatin-based sequestration. This alternative mechanism might explain at least some part of the superior tolerance in the mine plants. - Neither decreased uptake nor phytochelatins seem to play a role in the As tolerance in Silene paradoxa

Antropogenní transformace reliéfu v oblasti dolu Jeroným

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kirchner, Karel; Roštínský, Pavel

2011-01-01

Roč. 18, č. 1 (2011), s. 92-98 ISSN 1803-1447 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA105/09/0089 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z30860518 Keywords : geomorphology * anthropogenic transformation * Slavkovský les Forest Subject RIV: DE - Earth Magnetism, Geodesy, Geography www.caag.cz

Brucella Intracellular Life Relies on the Transmembrane Protein CD98 Heavy Chain.

Science.gov (United States)

Keriel, Anne; Botella, Eric; Estrach, Soline; Bragagnolo, Gabriel; Vergunst, Annette C; Feral, Chloe C; O'Callaghan, David

2015-06-01

Brucella are intracellular bacterial pathogens that use a type IV secretion system (T4SS) to escape host defenses and create a niche in which they can multiply. Although the importance of Brucella T4SS is clear, little is known about its interactions with host cell structures. In this study, we identified the eukaryotic protein CD98hc as a partner for Brucella T4SS subunit VirB2. This transmembrane glycoprotein is involved in amino acid transport, modulation of integrin signaling, and cell-to-cell fusion. Knockdown of CD98hc expression in HeLa cells demonstrated that it is essential for Brucella infection. Using knockout dermal fibroblasts, we confirmed its role for Brucella but found that it is not required for Salmonella infection. CD98hc transiently accumulates around the bacteria during the early phases of infection and is required for both optimal bacterial uptake and intracellular multiplication of Brucella. These results provide new insights into the complex interplay between Brucella and its host. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

CERN birthplace of the World Wide Web relies on Day's Communiqué

CERN Multimedia

2001-01-01

In close collaboration with CERN, Day developed a platform to enable interested research groups to integrate disparate data sources and to author content based on individual needs... Days Virtual Repository - The ContentBus - allows the integration of data sources and provides for the presentation of all work processes at CERN, from pure text to complex research data. With data procured in real time from the original location, it avoids data redundancy, insufficient scalability and unneccessary allocation of resources for constant data reconcilliation and additional database licenses.

PERiMENSTRUAL DiSTRES VE HEMiŞiRELiK YAKLAŞIMI

OpenAIRE

KIZILKAYA, Nezihe

2015-01-01

Kadm populasyonunun % 70'inden \\'Ogu perimenstrual distres §ikayetlerinin en az bir ya da daha fazlasmdan etkilenmektedir. Perimenstrual distres  §ikayetlerinin azaltihnas1 ya da Onlen1nesi iyin stres azalt1na, egzersiz, diyet, egiti1n ve da.n1 rnanhk bile§enlerinden olu§an <;ok boyutlu bio-psiko-sosyal bir yakla§1m oneril mektedir. Hem§ireler perimenstrual distres §ikayetlerinin onlenmesi ya da tedavisinde <;ok onemli bir role sahiptirler.

Can we rely on predicted basal metabolic rate in chronic pancreatitis outpatients?

Science.gov (United States)

Olesen, Søren Schou; Holst, Mette; Køhler, Marianne; Drewes, Asbjørn Mohr; Rasmussen, Henrik Højgaard

2015-04-01

Malnutrition is a common complication to chronic pancreatitis (CP) and many patients need nutritional support. An accurate estimation of the basal metabolic rate (BMR) is essential when appropriate nutritional support is to be initiated, but in the clinical settings BMR is cumbersome to measure. We therefore investigated whether BMR can be reliable predicted from a standard formula (the Harris-Benedict equation) in CP outpatients. Twenty-eight patients with clinical stable CP and no current alcohol abuse were enrolled. Patients were stratified according to nutritional risk using the Nutrition Risk Screening 2002 system. Body composition was estimated using bioelectrical impedance. BMR was measured using indirect calorimetry and predicted using the Harris-Benedict equation based on anthropometric data. The average predicted BMR was 1371 ± 216 kcal/day compared to an average measured BMR of 1399 ± 231 kcal/day (P = 0.4). The corresponding limits of agreement were -347 to 290 kcal/day. Twenty-two patients (79%) had a measured BMR between 85 and 115% of the predicted BMR. When analysing patients stratified according to nutritional risk profiles, no differences between predicted and measured BMR were evident for any of the risk profile subgroups (all P > 0.2). The BMR was correlated to fat free mass determined by bioelectrical impedance (rho = 0.55; P = 0.003), while no effect modification was seen from nutritional risk stratification in a linear regression analysis (P = 0.4). The Harris-Benedict equation reliable predicts the measured BMR in four out of five clinical stable CP outpatients with no current alcohol abuse. Copyright © 2015 European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Out-of-Pocket and Informal Payment Before and After the Health Transformation Plan in Iran: Evidence from Hospitals Located in Kurdistan, Iran.

Science.gov (United States)

Piroozi, Bakhtiar; Rashidian, Arash; Moradi, Ghobad; Takian, Amirhossein; Ghasri, Hooman; Ghadimi, Tayyeb

2017-02-11

One of the objectives of the health transformation plan (HTP) in Iran is to reduce out-of-pocket (OOP) payments for inpatient services and eradicate informal payments. The HTP has three phases: the first phase (launched in May 5, 2014) is focused on reducing OOP payments for inpatient services; the second phase (launched in May 22, 2014) is focused on primary healthcare (PHC) and the third phase utilizes an updated relative value units for health services (launched in September 29, 2014) and is focused on the elimination of informal payments. This aim of this study was to determine the OOP payments and the frequency of informal cash payments to physicians for inpatient services before and after the HTP in Kurdistan province, Iran. This quasi-experimental study used multistage sampling method to select and evaluate 265 patients discharged from hospitals in Kurdistan province. The study covered 3 phases (before the HTP, after the first, and third phases of the HTP). Part of the data was collected using a hospital information system form and the rest were collected using a questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Fisher exact test, logistic regression, and independent samples t test. The mean OOP payments before the HTP and after the first and third phases, respectively, were US$59.4, US$17.6, and US$14.3 in hospital affiliated to the Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MoHME), US$39.6, US$33.7, and US$13.7 in hospitals affiliated to Social Security Organization (SSO), and US$153.3, US$188.7, and US$66.4 in private hospitals. In hospitals affiliated to SSO and MoHME there was a significant difference between the mean OOP payments before the HTP and after the third phase (PKurdistan province. © 2017 The Author(s); Published by Kerman University of Medical Sciences. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and

Drought induced pulses of SO42- from a Canadian shield wetland: use of δ34S and δ18O in SO42- to determine sources of sulfur

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schiff, S.L.; Spoelstra, J.; Semkin, R.G.; Jeffries, D.S.

2005-01-01

Following summer drought periods, pulses of elevated SO 4 2- concentrations are frequently observed in streams draining forested catchments that contain wetlands. Delays in the recovery of freshwater streams and lakes in eastern Canada from historically high levels of acidic precipitation have been partially ascribed to these periodic pulses of SO 4 2- . Climate in eastern Canada has also changed within the last 25 a, with a documented increase in summer dryness and duration of droughts. In small forested catchments in the Turkey Lakes Watershed (TLW), SO 4 2- concentrations in streams draining wetlands can be elevated by up to a factor of 7 during post-drought discharge events compared to the annual average. Two neighbouring catchments, one with a series of cascading wetlands and one without any wetlands, were selected for comparison. Stable S and O isotope ratios were analyzed in samples of bulk precipitation, streams, and groundwaters to examine sources of SO 4 2- in post-drought pulses. δ 34 S-SO 4 2- in the streams and groundwaters show that SO 4 2- is retained in the wetland via SO 4 2- reduction and stored in the upper peat profile. Nitrate is elevated in soil and groundwaters at TLW due to high rates of nitrification in forest soils and the presence of NO 3 - can be used to identify piezometers unaffected by SO 4 2- reduction. δ 18 O-SO 4 2- shows that higher concentrations of SO 4 2- in deeper groundwater are likely due to oxidation of organic S and not a geologic source of reduced S. Following drought, the low δ 34 S-SO 4 2- in streams is consistent with wetland retention by SO 4 2- reduction and much lower than SO 4 2- released by weathering in deep glacial till and bedrock. High SO 4 2- groundwaters and geologic sources do not contribute to the SO 4 2- pulses in streams. Isotopic patterns over 6 a were similar. Pulses of SO 4 2- in the wetland catchments following drought are a result of the oxidation of S previously reduced and stored in the wetland

Humus layer is the main locus of secondary SO4 production in boreal forests

Science.gov (United States)

Houle, Daniel; Marty, Charles; Duchesne, Louis; Gagnon, Christian

2014-02-01

Identifying the sources of S exported from catchments and the reactivity of the large soil organic S pool is crucial to understand the mid- or long-term response of forested catchments to decreasing atmospheric S deposition and global warming. Sulfur fluxes as well as S and O isotopes of SO4 were measured in precipitation, throughfall, soil solutions and streams at two boreal forest catchments respectively dominated by black spruce (BS) and balsam fir (BF) in Quebec, Canada. Overall, δ34S-SO4 signature showed relatively small variations among various solution types. However, at both sites, δ18O-SO4 in precipitation (averages of 10.5-11.1‰) was decreased by 3.5-3.6‰ in throughfall because of the production of secondary SO4 through oxidation of SO2 deposited on the canopy. Throughfall δ18O-SO4 was decreased by a further 5.4-6.6‰ in the solution leaving the humus layer which was attributed to the production of secondary SO4 under the action of soil microorganisms through the oxidation of organic S during which the S atom acquired O from water and gaseous O2 present in the soil. A mixing equation based on known isotopic signature of each source suggested that ˜67-81% of the S-SO4 leaving the catchments had interacted with the canopy and the humus layer. The stability of δ18O-SO4 in the mineral soil solution and in the stream of both sites, suggests that SO4 does not undergo reduction-oxidation cycles after its passage through the humus layer. Despite its huge size, the organic S reservoir within the mineral soil would be largely inert. Given the chemical nature of SO4 transformation in the canopy, the humus layer would be responsible for nearly 100% of the biological production of secondary SO4 in the whole watershed at both sites. Taking into account the substantial production of dissolved organic S in the humus layer further emphasizes the crucial importance of the latter in the S cycling of boreal forests.

Annual Site Environmental Report Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Calendar year 2007

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Agogino, Karen [National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Washington, DC (United States); Sanchez, Rebecca [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2008-09-30

Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico (SNL/NM) is a government-owned/contractor-operated facility. Sandia Corporation (Sandia), a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, manages and operates the laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). The DOE/NNSA Sandia Site Office (SSO) administers the contract and oversees contractor operations at the site. This annual report summarizes data and the compliance status of Sandia Corporation’s environmental protection and monitoring programs through December 31, 2007. Major environmental programs include air quality, water quality, groundwater protection, terrestrial surveillance, waste management, pollution prevention (P2), environmental restoration (ER), oil and chemical spill prevention, and implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Environmental monitoring and surveillance programs are required by DOE Order 450.1, Environmental Protection Program (DOE 2007a) and DOE Manual 231.1-1A, Environment, Safety, and Health Reporting (DOE 2007).

Creating Office Spaces in the Mediterranean. The importance of well-being, health and performance of office users

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. Mateo-Cecilia

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Recent research has studied the influence of office buildings indoor environment quality (IEQ on employees’ well-being, health and performance. However, it seems that it has not been explicitly explored what are the appropriate environmental conditions to different work patterns that coexist in these spaces. This paper presents results of an empirical research, based on the synchronized measurements of different IEQ parameters (i.e., noise, lighting and temperature, and well-being, health and performance of 71 employees in twelve office spaces in the Valencian Community along three periods, considering winter and summer conditions. Findings of the first winter period data, suggest the existence of different ideal parameters for different levels of task complexity (one of the dimensions that characterizes work patterns in the Mediterranean climate; and open new avenues of research to build up a specific Smart and Sustainable Offices (SSO model and further systemic design-support tools.

User and Machine Authentication and Authorization Infrastructure for Distributed Wireless Sensor Network Testbeds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gerald Wagenknecht

2013-03-01

Full Text Available The intention of an authentication and authorization infrastructure (AAI is to simplify and unify access to different web resources. With a single login, a user can access web applications at multiple organizations. The Shibboleth authentication and authorization infrastructure is a standards-based, open source software package for web single sign-on (SSO across or within organizational boundaries. It allows service providers to make fine-grained authorization decisions for individual access of protected online resources. The Shibboleth system is a widely used AAI, but only supports protection of browser-based web resources. We have implemented a Shibboleth AAI extension to protect web services using Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP. Besides user authentication for browser-based web resources, this extension also provides user and machine authentication for web service-based resources. Although implemented for a Shibboleth AAI, the architecture can be easily adapted to other AAIs.

UAuth: A Strong Authentication Method from Personal Devices to Multi-accounts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yazhe Wang

2015-10-01

Full Text Available In this paper we present UAuth, a two-layer authentication framework that provides more security assurances than two-factor authentication while offering a simpler authentication experience. When authenticating, users first verified their static credentials (such as password, fingerprint, etc. on their devices to achieve the local-layer authentication, then submit the OTP-signed response generated by their device to the server to complete the server-layer authentication. We also propose the three-level account association mechanism, which establishes the association among devices, users and services, and then creates a mapping from user’s devices to user’s accounts. Users can gain access to different service via any device in the association easily. Our goal is to provide a quick and convenient SSO-like login process on the basis of security authentication. To meet the goal, we implement our UAuth, and evaluate our designs.

Calendar year 2003 annual site environmental report for Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wagner, Katrina; Sanchez, Rebecca V.; Mayeux, Lucie; Koss, Susan I.; Salinas, Stephanie A.

2004-09-01

Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico (SNL/NM) is a government-owned, contractor-operated facility owned by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and managed by the Sandia Site Office (SSO), Albuquerque, New Mexico. Sandia Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, operates SNL/NM. This annual report summarizes data and the compliance status of Sandia Corporation's environmental protection and monitoring programs through December 31, 2003. Major environmental programs include air quality, water quality, groundwater protection, terrestrial surveillance, waste management, pollution prevention (P2), environmental restoration (ER), oil and chemical spill prevention, and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Environmental monitoring and surveillance programs are required by DOE Order 450.1, ''Environmental Protection Program'' (DOE 2003a) and DOE Order 231.1 Chg.2, ''Environment, Safety, and Health Reporting'' (DOE 1996).

To what extent does organic farming rely on nutrient inflows from conventional farming?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nowak, Benjamin; Nesme, Thomas; Pellerin, Sylvain; David, Christophe

2013-01-01

Organic farming is increasingly recognized as a prototype for sustainable agriculture. Its guidelines ban the use of artificial fertilizers. However, organic farms may import nutrients from conventional farming through material exchanges. In this study, we aimed at estimating the magnitude of these flows through the quantification of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium inflows from conventional farming to organic farming. Material inflows and outflows were collected for two cropping years on 63 farms. The farms were located in three French agricultural districts distributed over a gradient of farming activity defined by both the stocking rate and the ratio of the farm area under arable crops. Our results showed that on average, inflows from conventional farming were 23%, 73% and 53% for nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, respectively. These inflows were strongly determined by the farm production systems. However, for farms similar in terms of production systems, the inflows also depended on the local context, such as the proximity of organic livestock farms: the reliance of organic farming on conventional farming was lower in mixed than in specialized districts. These results highlight the necessity to quantify the contribution of nutrient inflows from conventional farming when assessing organic farming and development scenarios. (letter)

High-fidelity DNA replication in Mycobacterium tuberculosis relies on a trinuclear zinc center.

Science.gov (United States)

Baños-Mateos, Soledad; van Roon, Anne-Marie M; Lang, Ulla F; Maslen, Sarah L; Skehel, J Mark; Lamers, Meindert H

2017-10-11

High-fidelity DNA replication depends on a proofreading 3'-5' exonuclease that is associated with the replicative DNA polymerase. The replicative DNA polymerase DnaE1 from the major pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) uses its intrinsic PHP-exonuclease that is distinct from the canonical DEDD exonucleases found in the Escherichia coli and eukaryotic replisomes. The mechanism of the PHP-exonuclease is not known. Here, we present the crystal structure of the Mtb DnaE1 polymerase. The PHP-exonuclease has a trinuclear zinc center, coordinated by nine conserved residues. Cryo-EM analysis reveals the entry path of the primer strand in the PHP-exonuclease active site. Furthermore, the PHP-exonuclease shows a striking similarity to E. coli endonuclease IV, which provides clues regarding the mechanism of action. Altogether, this work provides important insights into the PHP-exonuclease and reveals unique properties that make it an attractive target for novel anti-mycobacterial drugs.The polymerase and histidinol phosphatase (PHP) domain in the DNA polymerase DnaE1 is essential for mycobacterial high-fidelity DNA replication. Here, the authors determine the DnaE1 crystal structure, which reveals the PHP-exonuclease mechanism that can be exploited for antibiotic development.

Dog and human inflammatory bowel disease rely on overlapping yet distinct dysbiosis networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Vázquez-Baeza, Yoshiki; Hyde, Embriette R; Suchodolski, Jan S; Knight, Rob

2016-10-03

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an autoimmune condition that is difficult to diagnose, and animal models of this disease have questionable human relevance 1 . Here, we show that the dysbiosis network underlying IBD in dogs differs from that in humans, with some bacteria such as Fusobacterium switching roles between the two species (as Bacteroides fragilis switches roles between humans and mice) 2 . For example, a dysbiosis index trained on humans fails when applied to dogs, but a dog-specific dysbiosis index achieves high correlations with the overall dog microbial community diversity patterns. In addition, a random forest classifier trained on dog-specific samples achieves high discriminatory power, even when using stool samples rather than the mucosal biopsies required for high discriminatory power in humans 2 . These relationships were not detected in previously published dog IBD data sets due to their limited sample size and statistical power 3 . Taken together, these results reveal the need to train host-specific dysbiosis networks and point the way towards a generalized understanding of IBD across different mammalian models.

Self-awareness in neurodegenerative disease relies on neural structures mediating reward-driven attention.

Science.gov (United States)

Shany-Ur, Tal; Lin, Nancy; Rosen, Howard J; Sollberger, Marc; Miller, Bruce L; Rankin, Katherine P

2014-08-01

Accurate self-awareness is essential for adapting one's tasks and goals to one's actual abilities. Patients with neurodegenerative diseases, particularly those with right frontal involvement, often present with poor self-awareness of their functional limitations that may exacerbate their already jeopardized decision-making and behaviour. We studied the structural neuroanatomical basis for impaired self-awareness among patients with neurodegenerative disease and healthy older adults. One hundred and twenty-four participants (78 patients with neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease, behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia, right-temporal frontotemporal dementia, semantic variant and non-fluent variant primary progressive aphasia, and 46 healthy controls) described themselves on the Patient Competency Rating Scale, rating observable functioning across four domains (daily living activities, cognitive, emotional control, interpersonal). All participants underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging. Informants also described subjects' functioning on the same scale. Self-awareness was measured by comparing self and informant ratings. Group differences in discrepancy scores were analysed using general linear models, controlling for age, sex and disease severity. Compared with controls, patients with behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia overestimated their functioning in all domains, patients with Alzheimer's disease overestimated cognitive and emotional functioning, patients with right-temporal frontotemporal dementia overestimated interpersonal functioning, and patients with non-fluent aphasia overestimated emotional and interpersonal functioning. Patients with semantic variant aphasia did not overestimate functioning on any domain. To examine the neuroanatomic correlates of impaired self-awareness, discrepancy scores were correlated with brain volume using voxel-based morphometry. To identify the unique neural correlates of overlooking versus exaggerating deficits, overestimation and underestimation scores were analysed separately, controlling for age, sex, total intracranial volume and extent of actual functional decline. Atrophy related to overestimating one's functioning included bilateral, right greater than left frontal and subcortical regions, including dorsal superior and middle frontal gyri, lateral and medial orbitofrontal gyri, right anterior insula, putamen, thalamus, and caudate, and midbrain and pons. Thus, our patients' tendency to under-represent their functional decline was related to degeneration of domain-general dorsal frontal regions involved in attention, as well as orbitofrontal and subcortical regions likely involved in assigning a reward value to self-related processing and maintaining accurate self-knowledge. The anatomic correlates of underestimation (right rostral anterior cingulate cortex, uncorrected significance level) were distinct from overestimation and had a substantially smaller effect size. This suggests that underestimation or 'tarnishing' may be influenced by non-structural neurobiological and sociocultural factors, and should not be considered to be on a continuum with overestimation or 'polishing' of functional capacity, which appears to be more directly mediated by neural circuit dysfunction. © The Author (2014). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Guarantors of Brain. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Viroids: from genotype to phenotype just relying on RNA sequence and structural motifs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ricardo eFlores

2012-06-01

Full Text Available As a consequence of two unique physical properties, small size and circularity, viroid RNAs do not code for proteins and thus depend on RNA sequence/structural motifs for interacting with host proteins that mediate their invasion, replication, spread, and circumvention of defensive barriers. Viroid genomes fold up on themselves adopting collapsed secondary structures wherein stretches of nucleotides stabilized by Watson-Crick pairs are flanked by apparently unstructured loops. However, compelling data show that they are instead stabilized by alternative non-canonical pairs and that specific loops in the rod-like secondary structure, characteristic of Potato spindle tuber viroid and most other members of the family Pospiviroidae, are critical for replication and systemic trafficking. In contrast, rather than folding into a rod-like secondary structure, most members of the family Avsunvioidae adopt multibranched conformations occasionally stabilized by kissing loop interactions critical for viroid viability in vivo. Besides these most stable secondary structures, viroid RNAs alternatively adopt during replication transient metastable conformations containing elements of local higher-order structure, prominent among which are the hammerhead ribozymes catalyzing a key replicative step in the family Avsunvioidae, and certain conserved hairpins that also mediate replication steps in the family Pospiviroidae. Therefore, different RNA structures ⎯either global or local ⎯ determine different functions, thus highlighting the need for in-depth structural studies on viroid RNAs.

DESIGN OF DYNAMIC VOLTAGE RESTORER TO ENHANCE POWER QUALITY RELYING ON RENEWABLE SOURCE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haider M. Umran

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Power quality improvement of low voltage grid is a great challenge that confronts the sophisticated power applications, because their performance is highly sensitive to the quality of power supply. Dynamic Voltage Restorer (DVR used widely as an efficient and skillful device to adjust electrical disturbances of the distribution grids. This paper introduces an overview of the components of the 3-phase dynamic voltage restorer and design its own control circuit. The performance of DVR was developed on the basis of the appropriate selection of Photovoltaic (PV module instead of the present conventional designs. Through this design, the need of series converter (DVR for the current from an electrical grid will end and the problems of power losses will curb. The PV-module is selected to meet the requirements of the DVR during voltage sag/swell on voltage line. The proposed system is mimicked in MATLAB software/Simulink and the findings are presented to prove the success of the design in terms of: Full congruence of the load voltage waveform with source voltage waveform, attaining 0.77% of THD analysis for the load voltage and the waveforms of PV system.

Monkeys Rely on Recency of Stimulus Repetition When Solving Short-Term Memory Tasks

Science.gov (United States)

Wittig, John H., Jr.; Richmond, Barry J.

2014-01-01

Seven monkeys performed variants of two short-term memory tasks that others have used to differentiate between selective and nonselective memory mechanisms. The first task was to view a list of sequentially presented images and identify whether a test matched any image from the list, but not a distractor from a preceding list. Performance was best…

Persistent identifiers for web service requests relying on a provenance ontology design pattern

Science.gov (United States)

Car, Nicholas; Wang, Jingbo; Wyborn, Lesley; Si, Wei

2016-04-01

Delivering provenance information for datasets produced from static inputs is relatively straightforward: we represent the processing actions and data flow using provenance ontologies and link to stored copies of the inputs stored in repositories. If appropriate detail is given, the provenance information can then describe what actions have occurred (transparency) and enable reproducibility. When web service-generated data is used by a process to create a dataset instead of a static inputs, we need to use sophisticated provenance representations of the web service request as we can no longer just link to data stored in a repository. A graph-based provenance representation, such as the W3C's PROV standard, can be used to model the web service request as a single conceptual dataset and also as a small workflow with a number of components within the same provenance report. This dual representation does more than just allow simplified or detailed views of a dataset's production to be used where appropriate. It also allow persistent identifiers to be assigned to instances of a web service requests, thus enabling one form of dynamic data citation, and for those identifiers to resolve to whatever level of detail implementers think appropriate in order for that web service request to be reproduced. In this presentation we detail our reasoning in representing web service requests as small workflows. In outline, this stems from the idea that web service requests are perdurant things and in order to most easily persist knowledge of them for provenance, we should represent them as a nexus of relationships between endurant things, such as datasets and knowledge of particular system types, as these endurant things are far easier to persist. We also describe the ontology design pattern that we use to represent workflows in general and how we apply it to different types of web service requests. We give examples of specific web service requests instances that were made by systems at Australia's National Computing Infrastructure and show how one can 'click' through provenance interfaces to see the dual representations of the requests using provenance management tooling we have built.

Damage-induced DNA replication stalling relies on MAPK-activated protein kinase 2 activity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Köpper, Frederik; Bierwirth, Cathrin; Schön, Margarete

2013-01-01

knockdown of the MAP kinase-activated protein kinase 2 (MK2), a kinase currently implicated in p38 stress signaling and G2 arrest. Depletion or inhibition of MK2 also protected cells from DNA damage-induced cell death, and mice deficient for MK2 displayed decreased apoptosis in the skin upon UV irradiation...

refining of scintillation detector signals relying on interpolated wavelets on a FPGA prototype

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aboshosha, A.; Sayed, M.; Ashour, M.; Safwat, A.

2010-01-01

in this article, a signal processing core based on field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) is developed for processing of scintillation detector signals. this core is implemented to apply the forward wavelet transfrom and interpolation technique. the main purpose of that is to de-noise, compress and reconstruct these signals by which the processing speed and storage will be optimized. moreover, this technique gives us all important features of the acquired signals such as counting, shaping and pulse height. A new contribution of our framework arises from employing the interpolation techniques to reconstruct the signal where the mother wavelet and details are not required. The hardware design is implemented using hardware description language (HDL) and is implemented practically on the FPGA. The performance of the design has been tested in simulation mode on Model sim benchmark and in real time mode on XC2S 50 spartan- II FPGA.

Urinary concentration does not exclusively rely on plasma vasopressin. A study between genders

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Graugaard-Jensen, Charlotte; Hvistendahl, Gitte M; Frøkiaer, Jørgen

2014-01-01

AimWe investigated the influence of gender on the diurnal regulation of urine production with special focus on vasopressin, oxytocin and prostaglandin E2. MethodsFifteen young women in mid-follicular phase and 22 young men (20-33years) were included. All participants underwent a 24-h circadian in...

Neuroprotective effects of 17β-estradiol rely on estrogen receptor membrane initiated signals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marco eFiocchetti

2012-04-01

Full Text Available 17β-estradiol (E2 exerts protective effects in the central nervous system besides its crucial role in many physiological and pathological events. E2 effects are not restricted to the brain areas related with the control of the reproductive function, but rather are widespread throughout the developing and the adult brain. E2 actions are mediated by estrogen receptors (i.e., ERα and ERβ belonging to the nuclear receptor super family. As members of the ligand-regulated transcription factor family, the actions of ERs in the brain were thought to mediate only the E2 long-term transcriptional effects. However, a growing body of evidence has emerged indicating the presence of rapid, membrane initiated E2 effects in the brain which result independent from ER transcriptional activities and involved in E2-induced neuroprotection. Aim of this review is to focus on the rapid effects of E2 in the brain taking into account the specific contribution of the signaling pathway of ERβ subtype in neuroprotective actions of E2.

DIGITAL BOOKS RELY ON SOCIAL READING TO FIND NEW SUCCESS PROPOSALS AND FORMATS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Berta García Orosa

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Digital reading development has reached turning point. In view of the recent data, the edition of electronic books has dropped for the second consecutive year in 2014, while paper books production has increased (MECD, 2015. The last report from the Fundación Telefónica (2015 points out that six out ten Spanish people prefer printed books instead of the digital ones. This article presents the symptoms of a possible change of tendency in digital books. There is a need for a new digital ecosystem of digital texts production and reception. Its major focus should be the social reading, understood as a space for reception, interpretation, and creation.

Can gingival crevicular blood be relied upon for assessment of blood glucose level?

Science.gov (United States)

Dwivedi, Shivani; Verma, Sharmila J; Shah, Monali; Jain, Kapil

2014-11-01

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is undiagnosed in approximately half of the patients actually suffering from the disease. In addition, the prevalence of DM is more than twice as high as in patients with periodontitis when compared to periodontally healthy subjects. Thus, a high number of patients with periodontitis may have undiagnosed DM. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate whether blood oozing from a gingival crevice during routine periodontal examination can be used for determining glucose levels. Observational cross-sectional studies were carried out in 75 patients (43 males and 32 females) with chronic periodontitis who were divided into two groups: Group I and Group II, respectively. Blood oozing from the gingival crevices of anterior teeth following periodontal probing was collected with the stick of glucose self-monitoring device, and the blood glucose levels were measured. At the same time, finger-prick blood was taken for glucometric analysis and subsequent readings were recorded. The patient's blood glucose values ranged from 74 to 256 mg/dl. The comparison between gingival crevicular blood and finger-prick blood showed a very strong correlation, with a t value of 3.97 (at P value = 0.001). The data from this study has shown that GCB collected during diagnostic periodontal examination can be an excellent source of blood for glucometric analysis.

Wild hummingbirds rely on landmarks not geometry when learning an array of flowers.

Science.gov (United States)

Hurly, T Andrew; Fox, Thomas A O; Zwueste, Danielle M; Healy, Susan D

2014-09-01

Rats, birds or fish trained to find a reward in one corner of a small enclosure tend to learn the location of the reward using both nearby visual features and the geometric relationships of corners and walls. Because these studies are conducted under laboratory and thereby unnatural conditions, we sought to determine whether wild, free-living rufous hummingbirds (Selasphorus rufus) learning a single reward location within a rectangular array of flowers would similarly employ both nearby visual landmarks and the geometric relationships of the array. Once subjects had learned the location of the reward, we used test probes in which one or two experimental landmarks were moved or removed in order to reveal how the birds remembered the reward location. The hummingbirds showed no evidence that they used the geometry of the rectangular array of flowers to remember the reward. Rather, they used our experimental landmarks, and possibly nearby, natural landmarks, to orient and navigate to the reward. We believe this to be the first test of the use of rectangular geometry by wild animals, and we recommend further studies be conducted in ecologically relevant conditions in order to help determine how and when animals form complex geometric representations of their local environments.

The assessment of nanofluid in a Von Karman flow with temperature relied viscosity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anum Tanveer

2018-06-01

Full Text Available This work endeavor to study the heat and mass transfer viscous nanofluid features in a Von Karman flow invoking the variable viscosity mechanism. Moreover, we have extended our study in view of heat generation and uniform suction effects. The flow triggering non-linear partial differential equations are inscribed in the non-dimensional form by manipulating suitable transformations. The resulting non-linear ordinary differential equations are solved numerically via implicit finite difference scheme in conjecture with the Newton’s linearization scheme afterwards. The sought solutions are plotted graphically to present comparison between MATLAB routine bvp4c and implicit finite difference schemes. Impact of different parameters on the concentration/temperature/velocity profiles are highlighted. Further Nusselt number, skin friction and Sherwood number characteristics are discussed for better exposition. Keywords: Von Karman flow, Variable viscosity, Heat generation, Suction, Nanofluid, Implicit finite difference scheme, Bvp4c

Calendar Year 2009 Annual Site Environmental Report for Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Armstrong, Karen [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Bailey-White, Brenda [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Bonaguidi, Joseph [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Brown, Mendy [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Byrd, Caroline [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Cabble, Kevin [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Castillo, Dave [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Coplen, Amy [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Curran, Kelsey [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Deola, Regina [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Duran, Leroy [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Eckstein, Joanna [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Evelo, Stacie [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Fitzgerald, Tanja [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); French, Chris [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Gerard, Morgan [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Gonzales, Linda [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Gorman, Susan [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Jackson, Timothy [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Jarry, Jeff [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Jones, Adrian [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Lauffer, Franz [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Mauser, Joseph [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Mayeux, Lucie [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); McCord, Samuel [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Miller, Mark [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Oborny, Stephanie [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Perini, Robin [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Puissant, Pamela [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Reiser, Anita [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Roma, Charles [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Salinas, Stephanie [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Skelly, Michael [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Ullrich, Rebecca [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Wagner, Katrina [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Wrons, Ralph [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2010-09-30

Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico (SNL/NM) is a government-owned/contractor operated facility. Sandia Corporation (Sandia), a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMC), manages and operates the laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). The DOE/NNSA, Sandia Site O ffice (SSO) administers the contract and oversees contractor operations at the site. This annual report summarizes data and the compliance status of Sandia Corporation’s environmental protection and monitoring programs through December 31, 2009. Major environmental programs include air quality, water quality, groundwater protection, terrestrial surveillance, waste management, pollution prevention (P2), environmental restoration (ER), oil and chemical spill prevention, and implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Environmental monitoring and surveillance programs are required by DOE Order 450.1A, Environmental Protection Program (DOE 2008a) and DOE Manual 231.1-1A, Environment, Safety, and Health Reporting (DOE 2007).

ATLAS Live: Collaborative Information Streams

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goldfarb, Steven [Department of Physics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States); Collaboration: ATLAS Collaboration

2011-12-23

I report on a pilot project launched in 2010 focusing on facilitating communication and information exchange within the ATLAS Collaboration, through the combination of digital signage software and webcasting. The project, called ATLAS Live, implements video streams of information, ranging from detailed detector and data status to educational and outreach material. The content, including text, images, video and audio, is collected, visualised and scheduled using digital signage software. The system is robust and flexible, utilizing scripts to input data from remote sources, such as the CERN Document Server, Indico, or any available URL, and to integrate these sources into professional-quality streams, including text scrolling, transition effects, inter and intra-screen divisibility. Information is published via the encoding and webcasting of standard video streams, viewable on all common platforms, using a web browser or other common video tool. Authorisation is enforced at the level of the streaming and at the web portals, using the CERN SSO system.

ATLAS Live: Collaborative Information Streams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goldfarb, Steven

2011-01-01

I report on a pilot project launched in 2010 focusing on facilitating communication and information exchange within the ATLAS Collaboration, through the combination of digital signage software and webcasting. The project, called ATLAS Live, implements video streams of information, ranging from detailed detector and data status to educational and outreach material. The content, including text, images, video and audio, is collected, visualised and scheduled using digital signage software. The system is robust and flexible, utilizing scripts to input data from remote sources, such as the CERN Document Server, Indico, or any available URL, and to integrate these sources into professional-quality streams, including text scrolling, transition effects, inter and intra-screen divisibility. Information is published via the encoding and webcasting of standard video streams, viewable on all common platforms, using a web browser or other common video tool. Authorisation is enforced at the level of the streaming and at the web portals, using the CERN SSO system.

CT Angiography and Presentation NIH stroke Scale in Predicting TIA in Patients Presenting with Acute Stroke Symptoms.

Science.gov (United States)

Karaman, Bedriye; Selph, James; Burdine, Joselyn; Graham, Cole Blease; Sen, Souvik

2013-11-08

Patient candidacy for acute stroke intervention, is currently assessed using brain computed tomography angiography (CTA) evidence of significant stenosis/occlusion (SSO) with a high National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) (>6). This study examined the association between CTA without significant stenosis/occlusion (NSSO) and lower NIHSS (≤ 6) with transient ischemic attack (TIA) and other good clinical outcomes at discharge. Patients presenting TIA, modified Rankin Score [mRS] ≤ 1, and home as the discharge disposition. Eighty-five patients received both an NIHSS at presentation and a CTA at 4.2 ± 2.2 hours from stroke symptom onset. Patients with NSSO on CTA as well as those with NIHSS≤6 had better outcomes at discharge (pTIA (pTIA. Addition of NIHSS ≤ 6 to NSSO on CTA proved to be a stronger independent predictor of TIA (Adjusted OR 18.7 95% CI: 3.5-98.9, p=0.001).

Collaboration, learning and innovation across outsourced services value networks software services outsourcing in China

CERN Document Server

Abbott, Pamela; Du, Rong

2015-01-01

This book collects and reports on the results of a study conducted on the Chinese Software and Services Outsourcing (SSO) industry, focusing on one of its main players as a key case study. Two sets of research findings are presented: first, the knowledge management and communication processes inherent within a highly collaborative software development project between the case study company and one of its long-term UK clients are explored and distilled into specific practices; second, at the organizational level, the strategies used by the company to build and exploit capabilities and to dynamically configure resources to promote specific value positions along its outsourced services value networks are identified and discussed. The significance of these findings for similar China-based global high-tech firms and the value of this organizational form in moving closer to the goals of the 2020 enterprise vision are both discussed, along with the implications of the findings for EU/UK businesses operating in simil...

Molecular typing of HLA class II antigens in a São Paulo population

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Goldberg A.C.

1998-01-01

Full Text Available In the present paper we show data obtained from a normal population with a racially mixed profile typical of the city of São Paulo, State of São Paulo. Data were generated with polymerase chain reaction using sequence specific primers (PCR-SSP for HLA-DRB and polymerase chain reaction followed by hybridization with sequence specific oligonucleotide probes (PCR-SSO for HLA-DQA1 and HLA-DQB1 loci. HLA-DRB, DQA1, DQB1 and haplotype frequencies as well as common linkage disequilibria were found. This population was also shown to be in genetic equilibrium according to the Hardy-Weinberg law. HLA-DR typing of a normal sample from the city of Porto Velho, State of Rondonia, highlighted the importance of different sets of HLA profiles found in other regions of the country. This database provides essential information for screening studies of disease associations, forensic analyses and transplants.

CERN single sign on solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ormancey, E

2008-01-01

The need for Single Sign On has always been restricted by the absence of cross platform solutions: a single sign on working only on one platform or technology is nearly useless. The recent improvements in Web Services Federation (WS-Federation) standard enabling federation of identity, attribute, authentication and authorization information can now provide real extended Single Sign On solutions. Various solutions have been investigated at CERN and now, a Web SSO solution using some parts of WS-Federation technology is available. Using the Shibboleth Service Provider module for Apache hosted web sites and Microsoft ADFS as the identity provider linked to Active Directory user, users can now authenticate on any web application using a single authentication platform, providing identity, user information (building, phone...) as well as group membership enabling authorization possibilities. A typical scenario: a CERN user can now authenticate on a Linux/Apache website using Windows Integrated credentials, and his Active Directory group membership can be checked before allowing access to a specific web page

Security bingo for administrators

CERN Multimedia

Computer Security Team

2011-01-01

Have you ever thought about the security of your service(s) or system(s)? Show us and win one of three marvellous books on computer security! Just print out this page, mark which of the 25 good practices below you already follow, and send the sheet back to us at Computer.Security@cern.ch or P.O. Box G19710, by November 14th 2011.   Winners[1] must show us that they follow at least five good practices in a continuous horizontal row, vertical column or diagonal. For details on CERN Computer Security, please consult http://cern.ch/security. My service or system…   …is following a software development life-cycle. …is patched in an automatic and timely fashion. …runs a tightened local ingress/egress firewall. …uses CERN Single-Sign-On (SSO). …has physical access protections in place. …runs all processes / services / applications with least privileges. …has ...

Atributos químicos do solo decorrentes da aplicação em superfície de calcário e gesso em sistema plantio direto recém-implantado Chemical soil attributes as affected by lime and phosphogypsum surface application in a recently established no-tillage system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rogério Peres Soratto

2008-04-01

Full Text Available Há interesse em implantar o sistema plantio direto em áreas anteriormente cultivadas no sistema convencional ou sob pastagem, corrigindo a acidez com calagem superficial após a implantação do sistema. Essa prática pode ser possível desde que não haja impedimento físico do solo ao crescimento radicular. Nesse sentido, o gesso é uma alternativa para diminuição da atividade do Al3+ e aumento da saturação por bases (V, principalmente Ca2+, nas camadas do subsolo, podendo ser utilizado como produto complementar ao calcário. Este trabalho objetivou avaliar as alterações dos atributos químicos do solo (pH CaCl2, H + Al, Al3+, Ca2+, Mg2+, S-SO4(2-, V e teor de micronutrientes catiônicos decorrentes da aplicação de calcário e de gesso agrícola em superfície em sistema plantio direto recém-implantado em região de inverno seco. O experimento foi conduzido em um Latossolo Vermelho distroférrico de Botucatu (SP. O delineamento experimental foi em blocos casualizados com parcelas subdivididas e quatro repetições. As parcelas foram constituídas por quatro doses de calcário dolomítico com PRNT de 71,2 % (0, 1.100, 2.700 e 4.300 kg ha-1, visando elevar a saturação por bases a 50, 70 e 90 %, respectivamente. As subparcelas foram constituídas pelas doses de gesso agrícola de 0 e 2.100 kg ha-1. Amostras de terra foram coletadas nas profundidades de 0-0,05, 0,05-0,10, 0,10-0,20, 0,20-0,40, 0,40-0,60 e 0-0,20 m, aos três, seis, 12 e 18 meses da aplicação dos produtos. A aplicação superficial de calcário diminuiu a acidez e elevou os teores de Ca e Mg trocável, principalmente nas camadas superficiais do solo. A aplicação de gesso agrícola aumentou os teores de Ca trocável e S-SO4(2-, e diminuiu os teores de Al no solo, contribuindo para que os efeitos da calagem superficial nas características químicas do solo alcançassem, de forma mais rápida, as camadas do subsolo. Os valores de saturação por bases obtidos na

Atributos químicos relacionados ao processo de sulfurização em solos construídos após mineração de carvão Chemical attributes of constructed soils after surface coal mining related to sulphurization process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alberto Vasconcellos Inda

2010-05-01

Full Text Available A mineração de carvão a céu aberto envolve a remoção superficial do solo e de camadas geológicas, os quais devem ser repostos visando à reabilitação das áreas mineradas. Essa obra expõe o carvão às condições oxidativas do ar e altera as características originais do solo e da paisagem. Como consequência, o processo de sulfurização pode ser ativado nos solos construídos em razão da oxidação da pirita, condicionando alterações químicas e mineralógicas. Nesse contexto, o estudo objetivou avaliar a evolução temporal de solos construídos há 24 (SA-24 e dois (SA-2 anos, em duas áreas mineradas e reconstruídas no Município de Minas do Leão, Rio Grande do Sul (RS, tendo como base atributos químicos relacionados com o processo de sulfurização. Para tanto, foram determinados o pH, a condutividade elétrica (CE, os teores de bases (SB e de alumínio (Al3+ trocáveis, a acidez potencial (H+Al, os teores totais de Al, Fe e Si e o teor de sulfato solúvel (S-SO4(2- e calculadas a capacidade de troca de cátions (CTC, a saturação por bases (V e a saturação por alumínio (m. Os resultados indicaram a atuação do processo de sulfurização nos solos construídos de ambas as áreas reabilitadas. A CE e os teores de S-SO4(2- foram maiores na SA-2, indicando um estádio de sulfurização mais ativo nos solos dessa área. Na SA-24, a menor CE e os menores teores de S-SO4(2-, de SB e V, bem como a maior saturação por Al e teores de H+Al, sugerem a proximidade do estádio de pós-sulfurização. Elementos como Al e P concentraram-se relativamente nos solos construídos mais antigos. Os solos em ambas as áreas apresentam limitações químicas para o desenvolvimento de vegetação, influindo negativamente para a recuperação das áreas.Coal stripmining involves the removal of upper soil and geological layers, which must be relocated in a similar way that in the original profile when reconstructing the landscape. As this

Relying on Your Own Best Judgment: Imputing Values to Missing Information in Decision Making.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Richard D.; And Others

Processes involved in making estimates of the value of missing information that could help in a decision making process were studied. Hypothetical purchases of ground beef were selected for the study as such purchases have the desirable property of quantifying both the price and quality. A total of 150 students at the University of Iowa rated the…

Permissive and instructive anterior patterning rely on mRNA localization in the wasp embryo.

Science.gov (United States)

Brent, Ava E; Yucel, Gozde; Small, Stephen; Desplan, Claude

2007-03-30

The long-germ mode of embryogenesis, in which segments arise simultaneously along the anteriorposterior axis, has evolved several times in different lineages of the holometabolous, or fully metamorphosing, insects. Drosophila's long-germ fate map is established largely by the activity of the dipteran-specific Bicoid (Bcd) morphogen gradient, which operates both instructively and permissively to accomplish anterior patterning. By contrast, all nondipteran long-germ insects must achieve anterior patterning independently of bcd. We show that bcd's permissive function is mimicked in the wasp by a maternal repression system in which anterior localization of the wasp ortholog of giant represses anterior expression of the trunk gap genes so that head and thorax can properly form.

Something To Rely On : The Influence of Stable and Fleeting Drivers on Moral Behavior

NARCIS (Netherlands)

G.G. van Houwelingen (Gijs)

2015-01-01

markdownabstract__Abstract__ In virtually any situation we are bound to encounter short-lived influences that lure us to act in a certain way. The influence of such ‘fleeting drivers’ may or may not be in line our long-term goals and commitments (‘stable drivers’). Moral behaviour in particular

Early Career Researchers Demand Full-text and Rely on Google to Find Scholarly Sources

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Richard Hayman

2017-12-01

Full Text Available A Review of: Nicholas, D., Boukacem-Zeghmouri, C., Rodríguez-Bravo, B., Xu, J., Watkinson, A., Abrizah, A., Herman, E., & Świgoń, M. (2017. Where and how early career researchers find scholarly information. Learned Publishing, 30(1, 19-29. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/leap.1087 Abstract Objective – To examine the attitudes and information behaviours of early career researchers (ECRs when locating scholarly information. Design – Qualitative longitudinal study. Setting – Research participants from the United Kingdom, United States of America, China, France, Malaysia, Poland, and Spain. Subjects – A total 116 participants from various disciplines, aged 35 and younger, who were holding or had previously held a research position, but not in a tenured position. All participants held a doctorate or were in the process of earning one. Methods – Using structured interviews of 60-90 minutes, researchers asked 60 questions of each participant via face-to-face, Skype, or telephone interviews. The interview format and questions were formed via focus groups. Main Results – As part of a longitudinal project, results reported are limited to the first year of the study, and focused on three primary questions identified by the authors: where do ECRs find scholarly information, whether they use their smartphones to locate and read scholarly information, and what social media do they use to find scholarly information. Researchers describe how ECRs themselves interpreted the phrase scholarly information to primarily mean journal articles, while the researchers themselves had a much expanded definition to include professional and “scholarly contacts, ideas, and data” (p. 22. This research shows that Google and Google Scholar are widely used by ECRs for locating scholarly information regardless of discipline, language, or geography. Their analysis by country points to currency and the combined breadth-and-depth search experience that Google provides as prime reasons for the popularity of Google and Google Scholar. Of particular interest is the popularity and use of Google Scholar in China, where it is officially blocked but accessed by ECRs via proxy services. Other general indexes, such as Web of Science and Scopus, are also popular but not universally used by ECRs, and regional differences again point to pros and cons of these services. Some specialized services are emphasized, including regional tools such as the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, as well as certain broad disciplinary resources, such as PubMed for its coverage of sciences and biomedical information. Researchers report that ECRs participating in this study were less concerned about how they gained access to full-text scholarly information, only that they could access full-text sources. In particular, ECRs do not take much notice of libraries and their platforms, seemingly unaware of the steps libraries take to acquire and ensure access to scholarly information, while viewing physical libraries themselves primarily as study spaces for undergraduate students and not places for the ECR to visit or work. While ECRs occasionally acknowledge library portals and login interfaces, researchers found that these participants mostly ignored these, and that they found discovery services to be confusing or difficult. Concerning social media use, participants identified 11 different platforms used but only ResearchGate was mentioned and used by participants from all seven countries represented. Social media tends to be used directly for keeping track of research trends and opinions and also the work specific researchers are publishing, and indirectly when referred to sites such as ResearchGate to find full-text of a specific article. Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are used occasionally or moderately, but not universally. Researchers highlight regional differences of social media use in China, where ECRs are more likely to connect with other researchers and receive notifications when those researchers publish. The study reports limited information ECRs’ use of smartphones for information seeking. About half of ECR participants reported use of their smartphone for discovering scholarly sources. The advantage smartphones provide includes near-ubiquitous Internet access and therefore the ability to access scholarly materials on the go, though ECRs are less likely to download or read full-text articles via their smartphones. The rate of adoption of smartphone use for scholarly materials varies by country. Conclusion – Early career researchers access scholarly information in a wide variety of ways, with Google and Google Scholar as the preferred starting location, and with social media also proving useful. Ease-of-use and full-text availability are paramount concerns; the spread of open access materials helps fuel the availability of materials, and Google makes these easy to find. Though physical libraries are perceived to be of limited use, the digital access they provide to full-text scholarly sources is still vital even if ECRs do not make the connection between having that important access and the fact that libraries act as buyers and providers of access

Efficient peroxydisulfate activation process not relying on sulfate radical generation for water pollutant degradation.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Tao; Chen, Yin; Wang, Yuru; Le Roux, Julien; Yang, Yang; Croué, Jean-Philippe

2014-05-20

Peroxydisulfate (PDS) is an appealing oxidant for contaminated groundwater and toxic industrial wastewaters. Activation of PDS is necessary for application because of its low reactivity. Present activation processes always generate sulfate radicals as actual oxidants which unselectively oxidize organics and halide anions reducing oxidation capacity of PDS and producing toxic halogenated products. Here we report that copper oxide (CuO) can efficiently activate PDS under mild conditions without producing sulfate radicals. The PDS/CuO coupled process is most efficient at neutral pH for decomposing a model compound, 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP). In a continuous-flow reaction with an empty-bed contact time of 0.55 min, over 90% of 2,4-DCP (initially 20 μM) and 90% of adsorbable organic chlorine (AOCl) can be removed at the PDS/2,4-DCP molar ratio of 1 and 4, respectively. Based on kinetic study and surface characterization, PDS is proposed to be first activated by CuO through outer-sphere interaction, the rate-limiting step, followed by a rapid reaction with 2,4-DCP present in the solution. In the presence of ubiquitous chloride ions in groundwater/industrial wastewater, the PDS/CuO oxidation shows significant advantages over sulfate radical oxidation by achieving much higher 2,4-DCP degradation capacity and avoiding the formation of highly chlorinated degradation products. This work provides a new way of PDS activation for contaminant removal.

Efficient peroxydisulfate activation process not relying on sulfate radical generation for water pollutant degradation

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Tao

2014-05-20

Peroxydisulfate (PDS) is an appealing oxidant for contaminated groundwater and toxic industrial wastewaters. Activation of PDS is necessary for application because of its low reactivity. Present activation processes always generate sulfate radicals as actual oxidants which unselectively oxidize organics and halide anions reducing oxidation capacity of PDS and producing toxic halogenated products. Here we report that copper oxide (CuO) can efficiently activate PDS under mild conditions without producing sulfate radicals. The PDS/CuO coupled process is most efficient at neutral pH for decomposing a model compound, 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP). In a continuous-flow reaction with an empty-bed contact time of 0.55 min, over 90% of 2,4-DCP (initially 20 μM) and 90% of adsorbable organic chlorine (AOCl) can be removed at the PDS/2,4-DCP molar ratio of 1 and 4, respectively. Based on kinetic study and surface characterization, PDS is proposed to be first activated by CuO through outer-sphere interaction, the rate-limiting step, followed by a rapid reaction with 2,4-DCP present in the solution. In the presence of ubiquitous chloride ions in groundwater/industrial wastewater, the PDS/CuO oxidation shows significant advantages over sulfate radical oxidation by achieving much higher 2,4-DCP degradation capacity and avoiding the formation of highly chlorinated degradation products. This work provides a new way of PDS activation for contaminant removal. © 2014 American Chemical Society.

Defense Headquarters: Geographic Combatant Commands Rely on Subordinate Commands for Mission Management and Execution

Science.gov (United States)

2016-06-30

Committee announced his priorities which included a review of DOD’s organization and lines of authority established as a result of the Goldwater...See enclosure). This report formally transmits an updated briefing and communicates the final results of our work. To describe DOD’s allocation of...its mission to manage the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to Joint Task Force Guantanamo (JTF-GTMO). However, the extent to which each

Relying on fin erosion to identify hatchery-reared brown trout in a Tennessee river

Science.gov (United States)

Meerbeek, Jonathan R.; Bettoli, Phillip William

2012-01-01

Hatchery-induced fin erosion can be used to identify recently stocked catchable-size brown trout Salmo trutta during annual surveys to qualitatively estimate contributions to a fishery. However, little is known about the longevity of this mark and its effectiveness as a short-term (≤ 1 year) mass-marking technique. We evaluated hatchery-induced pectoral fin erosion as a mass-marking technique for short-term stocking evaluations by stocking microtagged brown trout in a tailwater and repeatedly sampling those fish to observe and measure their pectoral fins. At Dale Hollow National Fish Hatchery, 99.1% (228 of 230) of microtagged brown trout in outdoor concrete raceways had eroded pectoral fins 1 d prior to stocking. Between 34 and 68 microtagged and 26-35 wild brown trout were collected during eight subsequent electrofishing samples. In a blind test based on visual examination of pectoral fins at up to 322 d poststocking, one observer correctly identified 91.7% to 100.0% (mean of 96.9%) of microtagged brown trout prior to checking for microtags. In the laboratory, pectoral fin length and width measurements were recorded to statistically compare the fin measurements of wild and microtagged hatchery brown trout. With only one exception, all pectoral fin measurements on each date averaged significantly larger for wild trout than for microtagged brown trout. Based on the number of pectoral fin measurements falling below 95% prediction intervals, 93.7% (148 of 158) of microtagged trout were correctly identified as hatchery fish based on regression models up to 160 d poststocking. Only 72.2% (70 of 97) of microtagged trout were identified correctly after 160 d based on pectoral fin measurements and the regression models. We concluded that visual examination of pectoral fin erosion was a very effective way to identify stocked brown trout for up to 322 d poststocking.

Atmea launches Atmea1 the mid-sized generation 3+ PWR you can rely on

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2008-01-01

ATMEA, a daughter company of AREVA NP and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, is developing and will supply ATMEA1, the most advanced 1100 MWe PWR plant with the combination of the unique set of competence and experience of its parent companies. This folder presents the ATMEA1 reactor main features. (J.S.)

SEE ME ROAR: Self-determination Enhanced Engagement for Math Education Relying On Augmented Reality

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Li, J.; van der Spek, E.D.; Hu, J.; Feijs, L.M.G.

2017-01-01

Contemporary primary school students generally spend a lot of time playing digital games, but may be less interested in their schoolwork, such as learning mathematics. Mathematics includes many abstract concepts that can be difficult to grasp for some students. Augmented reality as a technology

Nature does not rely on long-lived electronic quantum coherence for photosynthetic energy transfer

Science.gov (United States)

Duan, Hong-Guang; Prokhorenko, Valentyn I.; Cogdell, Richard J.; Ashraf, Khuram; Stevens, Amy L.; Thorwart, Michael; Miller, R. J. Dwayne

2017-08-01

During the first steps of photosynthesis, the energy of impinging solar photons is transformed into electronic excitation energy of the light-harvesting biomolecular complexes. The subsequent energy transfer to the reaction center is commonly rationalized in terms of excitons moving on a grid of biomolecular chromophores on typical timescales Olson protein, in which interference oscillatory signals up to 1.5 ps were reported and interpreted as direct evidence of exceptionally long-lived electronic quantum coherence. Here, we show that the optical 2D photon echo spectra of this complex at ambient temperature in aqueous solution do not provide evidence of any long-lived electronic quantum coherence, but confirm the orthodox view of rapidly decaying electronic quantum coherence on a timescale of 60 fs. Our results can be considered as generic and give no hint that electronic quantum coherence plays any biofunctional role in real photoactive biomolecular complexes. Because in this structurally well-defined protein the distances between bacteriochlorophylls are comparable to those of other light-harvesting complexes, we anticipate that this finding is general and directly applies to even larger photoactive biomolecular complexes.

You can’t rely on color, yet we all do 2.0 (Manuscript only)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nes, van F.L.; Eschbach, R.; Marcu, G.G.; Rizzi, A.

2013-01-01

Everybody views and uses color from early childhood onwards. But this magnificent property of all objects around us turns out to be elusive if you try to specify it and communicate it to another person. Also, people often don’t know what effects color may have under different conditions. However,

Early Career Researchers Demand Full-text and Rely on Google to Find Scholarly Sources

OpenAIRE

Richard Hayman

2017-01-01

A Review of: Nicholas, D., Boukacem-Zeghmouri, C., Rodríguez-Bravo, B., Xu, J., Watkinson, A., Abrizah, A., Herman, E., & Świgoń, M. (2017). Where and how early career researchers find scholarly information. Learned Publishing, 30(1), 19-29. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/leap.1087 Abstract Objective – To examine the attitudes and information behaviours of early career researchers (ECRs) when locating scholarly information. Design – Qualitative longitudinal study. Setting – R...

Efficient peroxydisulfate activation process not relying on sulfate radical generation for water pollutant degradation

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Tao; Chen, Yin; Wang, Yuru; Le Roux, Julien; Yang, Yang; Croue, Jean-Philippe

2014-01-01

Peroxydisulfate (PDS) is an appealing oxidant for contaminated groundwater and toxic industrial wastewaters. Activation of PDS is necessary for application because of its low reactivity. Present activation processes always generate sulfate radicals

Mission studies on constellation of LEO satellites with remote-sensing and communication payloads

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Chia-Ray; Hwang, Feng-Tai; Hsueh, Chuang-Wei

2017-09-01

Revisiting time and global coverage are two major requirements for most of the remote sensing satellites. Constellation of satellites can get the benefit of short revisit time and global coverage. Typically, remote sensing satellites prefer to choose Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO) because of fixed revisiting time and Sun beta angle. The system design and mission operation will be simple and straightforward. However, if we focus on providing remote sensing and store-and-forward communication services for low latitude countries, Sun Synchronous Orbit will not be the best choice because we need more satellites to cover the communication service gap in low latitude region. Sometimes the design drivers for remote sensing payloads are conflicted with the communication payloads. For example, lower orbit altitude is better for remote sensing payload performance, but the communication service zone will be smaller and we need more satellites to provide all time communication service. The current studies focus on how to provide remote sensing and communication services for low latitude countries. A cost effective approach for the mission, i.e. constellation of microsatellites, will be evaluated in this paper.

Anti-Collision Function Design and Performances of the CNES Formation Flying Experiment on the PRISMA Mission

Science.gov (United States)

Cayeux, P.; Raballand, F.; Borde, J.; Berges, J.-C.; Meyssignac, B.

2007-01-01

Within the framework of a partnership agreement, EADS ASTRIUM has worked since June 2006 for the CNES formation flying experiment on the PRISMA mission. EADS ASTRIUM is responsible for the anti-collision function. This responsibility covers the design and the development of the function as a Matlab/Simulink library, as well as its functional validation and performance assessment. PRISMA is a technology in-orbit testbed mission from the Swedish National Space Board, mainly devoted to formation flying demonstration. PRISMA is made of two micro-satellites that will be launched in 2009 on a quasi-circular SSO at about 700 km of altitude. The CNES FFIORD experiment embedded on PRISMA aims at flight validating an FFRF sensor designed for formation control, and assessing its performances, in preparation to future formation flying missions such as Simbol X; FFIORD aims as well at validating various typical autonomous rendezvous and formation guidance and control algorithms. This paper presents the principles of the collision avoidance function developed by EADS ASTRIUM for FFIORD; three kinds of maneuvers were implemented and are presented in this paper with their performances.

Short (16-mer locked nucleic acid splice-switching oligonucleotides restore dystrophin production in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy myotubes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vanessa Borges Pires

Full Text Available Splice-switching antisense oligonucleotides (SSOs offer great potential for RNA-targeting therapies, and two SSO drugs have been recently approved for treating Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD and Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA. Despite promising results, new developments are still needed for more efficient chemistries and delivery systems. Locked nucleic acid (LNA is a chemically modified nucleic acid that presents several attractive properties, such as high melting temperature when bound to RNA, potent biological activity, high stability and low toxicity in vivo. Here, we designed a series of LNA-based SSOs complementary to two sequences of the human dystrophin exon 51 that are most evolutionary conserved and evaluated their ability to induce exon skipping upon transfection into myoblasts derived from a DMD patient. We show that 16-mers with 60% of LNA modification efficiently induce exon skipping and restore synthesis of a truncated dystrophin isoform that localizes to the plasma membrane of patient-derived myotubes differentiated in culture. In sum, this study underscores the value of short LNA-modified SSOs for therapeutic applications.

Human leukocyte antigen class I, class II, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha polymorphisms in a healthy elder Mexican Mestizo population

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Llorente Luis

2005-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background There is strong evidence that an individual's genetic background is an important predisposing factor to longevity. In the present study we analysed the frequency of HLA class I, class II, as well as the TNF-α -308 polymorphism that may be related to an increased life span in Mexican Mestizo healthy elders. Results HLA typing was performed by polymerase chain reaction sequence specific oligonucleotide (PCR SSO reverse dot blot. The TNF-α -308 polymorphism was assessed by PCR restriction fragment length polymorphism. A significant increased frequency of HLA-DRB1*11 was found in elderly women whereas this allele was not present in elderly males. The TNF2 allele was also increased in the elder group when compared to young controls. The frequencies of the remaining alleles tested were not statistically different among groups. Conclusion These data suggest an ethnicity independent tendency of HLA-DRB1*11 in elder females to increase life span and a possible role of the TNF2 allele with the successful remodelling of senescent immune system.

Evidence of HLA-DQB1 Contribution to Susceptibility of Dengue Serotype 3 in Dengue Patients in Southern Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniela Maria Cardozo

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Dengue infection (DI transmitted by arthropod vectors is the viral disease with the highest incidence throughout the world, an estimated 300 million cases per year. In addition to environmental factors, genetic factors may also influence the manifestation of the disease; as even in endemic areas, only a small proportion of people develop the most serious form. Immune-response gene polymorphisms may be associated with the development of cases of DI. The aim of this study was to determine allele frequencies in the HLA-A, B, C, DRB1, DQA1, and DQB1 loci in a Southern Brazil population with dengue virus serotype 3, confirmed by the ELISA serological method, and a control group. The identification of the HLA alleles was carried out using the SSO genotyping PCR program (One Lambda, based on Luminex technology. In conclusion, this study suggests that DQB1*06:11 allele could act as susceptible factors to dengue virus serotype 3, while HLA-DRB1*11 and DQA1*05:01 could act as resistance factors.

Public PCs: Log Out or Lose Out

CERN Multimedia

Computer Security Team

2013-01-01

Do you regularly use one of the public Windows or Linux terminals in the CERN library or in front of the Users' Office? Or do you often give presentations or run meetings, workshops or conferences? Did you recently attend a training session in the CERN Training Centre? If you answered at least once with “yes”, we have a plea for you: LOG OUT when done in order to protect your data!   You might recall that CERN considers that “Your Privacy is Paramount”. But this does not come for free. In the few past months, we have received several reports from vigilant people who have spotted open user sessions on public PCs at CERN. Those users simply forgot to log out once their work, training or meeting was over. Their session continued without them being present. Worse, with CERN using a central Single Sign-On (SSO) portal, their login credentials would allow a malicious person at CERN to use those credentials to access that user’s mailbox, DFS ...

Nitratreduktion in einem quartären Grundwasserleiter in Ostwestfalen, NRW

Science.gov (United States)

Wisotzky, Frank; Wohnlich, Stefan; Böddeker, Martin

2018-06-01

Groundwater chemistry and sediment chemistry are characterized in a catchment of a water works in the lower terrace of the river Ems, in east-Westphalia (Germany). In spite of strong nitrate input in the shallow groundwater, the nitrate concentration in the wells is very low, suggesting strong nitrate reduction. The aims of this study were to determine the type of nitrate reduction and to determine the depth of these reactions. As part of the groundwater investigation, soil samples were also used. All soil samples have low sulfide-sulfur contents but high organic-carbon contents. The shallow groundwater has nitrate concentrations up to 185 mg/l. Enhanced carbon-dioxide concentrations in the deeper part of the aquifer indicate a dominant organotrophic nitrate reduction. Data from a multi-level observation well show a 25% lithotrophic and 75% organotrophic nitrate reduction. Investigations of nitrate isotopes (δ15N-NO3-values and δ18O-NO3-values) and sulfate isotopes (δ34S-SO4-values and δ18O-SO4-values) support the findings.

Secure OpenID Authentication Model by Using Trusted Computing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. Ghazizadeh

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The growth of Internet online services has been very quick in recent years. Each online service requires Internet users to create a new account to use the service. The problem can be seen when each user usually needs more than one service and, consequently, has numerous accounts. These numerous accounts have to be managed in a secure and simple way to be protected against identity theft. Single sign-on (SSO and OpenID have been used to decrease the complexity of managing numerous accounts required in the Internet identity environment. Trusted Platform Module (TPM and Trust Multitenancy are great trusted computing-based technologies to solve security concerns in the Internet identity environment. Since trust is one of the pillars of security in the cloud, this paper analyzes the existing cloud identity techniques in order to investigate their strengths and weaknesses. This paper proposes a model in which One Time Password (OTP, TPM, and OpenID are used to provide a solution against phishing as a common identity theft in cloud environment.

HATS-50b through HATS-53b: Four Transiting Hot Jupiters Orbiting G-type Stars Discovered by the HATSouth Survey

Science.gov (United States)

Henning, Th.; Mancini, L.; Sarkis, P.; Bakos, G. Á.; Hartman, J. D.; Bayliss, D.; Bento, J.; Bhatti, W.; Brahm, R.; Ciceri, S.; Csubry, Z.; de Val-Borro, M.; Espinoza, N.; Fulton, B. J.; Howard, A. W.; Isaacson, H. T.; Jordán, A.; Marcy, G. W.; Penev, K.; Rabus, M.; Suc, V.; Tan, T. G.; Tinney, C. G.; Wright, D. J.; Zhou, G.; Durkan, S.; Lazar, J.; Papp, I.; Sari, P.

2018-02-01

We report the discovery of four close-in transiting exoplanets (HATS-50b through HATS-53b), discovered using the HATSouth three-continent network of homogeneous and automated telescopes. These new exoplanets belong to the class of hot Jupiters and orbit G-type dwarf stars, with brightness in the range V = 12.5–14.0 mag. While HATS-53 has many physical characteristics similar to the Sun, the other three stars appear to be metal-rich ([{Fe}/{{H}}]=0.2{--}0.3), larger, and more massive. Three of the new exoplanets, namely HATS-50b, HATS-51b, and HATS-53b, have low density (HATS-50b: 0.39+/- 0.10 {M}{{J}}, 1.130+/- 0.075 {R}{{J}}; HATS-51b: 0.768+/- 0.045 {M}{{J}}, 1.41+/- 0.19 {R}{{J}}; HATS-53b: 0.595+/- 0.089 {M}{{J}}, 1.340+/- 0.056 {R}{{J}}) and similar orbital periods (3.8297 days, 3.3489 days, 3.8538 days, respectively). Instead, HATS-52b is more dense (mass 2.24+/- 0.15 {M}{{J}} and radius 1.382+/- 0.086 {R}{{J}}) and has a shorter orbital period (1.3667 days). It also receives an intensive radiation from its parent star and, consequently, presents a high equilibrium temperature ({T}{eq}=1834+/- 73 K). HATS-50 shows a marginal additional transit feature consistent with an ultra-short-period hot super Neptune (upper mass limit 0.16 {M}{{J}}), which will be able to be confirmed with TESS photometry. The HATSouth network is operated by a collaboration consisting of Princeton University (PU), the Max Planck Institute für Astronomie (MPIA), the Australian National University (ANU), and the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (PUC). The station at Las Campanas Observatory (LCO) of the Carnegie Institute is operated by PU in conjunction with PUC, the station at the High Energy Spectroscopic Survey (H.E.S.S.) site is operated in conjunction with MPIA, and the station at Siding Spring Observatory (SSO) is operated jointly with ANU. Based in part on observations made with the ESO 3.6 m, the NTT, the MPG 2.2 m and Euler 1.2 m Telescopes at the ESO Observatory in

Potential for bias in epidemiologic studies that rely on glass-based retrospective assessment of radon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weinberg, C.R.

1995-01-01

Retrospective assessment of exposure to radon remains the greatest challenge in epidemiologic efforts to assess lung cancer risk associated with residential exposure. An innovative technique based on measurement of α-emitting, long-lived daughters embedded by recoil into household glass may one day provide improved radon dosimetry. Particulate air pollution is known, however, to retard the plate-out of radon daughters. This would be expected to result in a differential effect on dosimetry, where the calibration curve relating the actual historical radon exposure to the remaining α-activity in the glass would be different in historically smoky and nonsmoky environments. The resulting open-quotes measurement confoundingclose quotes can distort inferences about the effect of radon and can also produce spurious evidence for synergism between radon exposure and cigarette smoking. 18 refs., 4 figs

77 FR 39561 - Advanced Braking Technologies That Rely on Forward-Looking Sensors; Request for Comments

Science.gov (United States)

2012-07-03

.... Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., West... surrogate vehicles representing various vehicle body styles that any system would encounter in the real world to ensure robustness? If there is such a need, describe what body styles should comprise the fleet...

The power of hope: being a doctor is more than relying solely on the numbers.

Science.gov (United States)

Godshalk, A N; Brown, G C; Brown, H C; Brown, M M

2008-06-01

To ascertain whether a physician's positive or negative attitude significantly impacts the quality of life of ophthalmic patients. A standardised, validated, time trade-off, utility instrument was administered to consecutive vitreoretinal patients by interview to assess the quality of life associated with their current ocular health state (baseline scenario). Each was then given a scenario for the exact same health state with the same long-term prognosis in which their doctor emphasised the possible negative consequences (bad-news scenario) and one for the same health state in which their doctor emphasised the positive consequences (good-news scenario). Among the 247 patients enrolled were 140 women (57%) and 107 men (43%) with a mean age of 66 years and a mean educational level of 13.8 years after kindergarten. The mean baseline utility for 247 patients was 0.87 (SD = 0.19; 95% CI 0.84 to 0.89). The mean bad-news scenario utility was 0.80 (SD = 0.22, 95% CI 0.78 to 0.83), a 70% diminution in quality of life compared with the mean baseline utility (p = 0.0009). The mean good-news scenario utility was 0.89 (SD = 0.18, 95% CI 0.86 to 0.91), an insignificant difference compared with the mean baseline utility (p = 0.26). Ocular patients had a considerably poorer quality of life when their physician emphasised the possible negative consequences associated with their eye disease(s), as opposed to a more positive approach. While at times necessary, a negative emphasis approach can theoretically result in a considerable loss of life's value.

Initiation of Antiviral B Cell Immunity Relies on Innate Signals from Spatially Positioned NKT Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Gaya, Mauro; Barral, Patricia; Burbage, Marianne; Aggarwal, Shweta; Montaner, Beatriz; Warren Navia, Andrew; Aid, Malika; Tsui, Carlson; Maldonado, Paula; Nair, Usha; Ghneim, Khader; Fallon, Padraic G; Sekaly, Rafick-Pierre; Barouch, Dan H; Shalek, Alex K; Bruckbauer, Andreas; Strid, Jessica; Batista, Facundo D

2018-01-25

B cells constitute an essential line of defense from pathogenic infections through the generation of class-switched antibody-secreting cells (ASCs) in germinal centers. Although this process is known to be regulated by follicular helper T (TfH) cells, the mechanism by which B cells initially seed germinal center reactions remains elusive. We found that NKT cells, a population of innate-like T lymphocytes, are critical for the induction of B cell immunity upon viral infection. The positioning of NKT cells at the interfollicular areas of lymph nodes facilitates both their direct priming by resident macrophages and the localized delivery of innate signals to antigen-experienced B cells. Indeed, NKT cells secrete an early wave of IL-4 and constitute up to 70% of the total IL-4-producing cells during the initial stages of infection. Importantly, the requirement of this innate immunity arm appears to be evolutionarily conserved because early NKT and IL-4 gene signatures also positively correlate with the levels of neutralizing antibodies in Zika-virus-infected macaques. In conclusion, our data support a model wherein a pre-TfH wave of IL-4 secreted by interfollicular NKT cells triggers the seeding of germinal center cells and serves as an innate link between viral infection and B cell immunity. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gustatory Habituation in "Drosophila" Relies on "Rutabaga" (Adenylate Cyclase)-Dependent Plasticity of GABAergic Inhibitory Neurons

Science.gov (United States)

Paranjpe, Pushkar; Rodrigues, Veronica; VijayRaghavan, K.; Ramaswami, Mani

2012-01-01

In some situations, animals seem to ignore stimuli which in other contexts elicit a robust response. This attenuation in behavior, which enables animals to ignore a familiar, unreinforced stimulus, is called habituation. Despite the ubiquity of this phenomenon, it is generally poorly understood in terms of the underlying neural circuitry. Hungry…

The walking-induced transient hack concept is valid & relies on a transient early-exercise hypoxemia.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antoine Bruneau

Full Text Available Decreased arterial oxygen pressure obtained at peak exercise is strong evidence of walking-induced hypoxemia, assuming that the lower pressure occurs just before exercise is stopped. Using empirical predefined models and transcutaneous oximetry, we have shown that some patients reporting exercise intolerance show a minimal value at the onset of walking and a post-exercise overshoot. These changes are referred to as transcutaneous "walking-induced transient hacks".In 245 patients, walking-induced transcutaneous oxygen pressure changes in the chest were analyzed using observer-independent clustering techniques. Clustering classes were compared to the profile types previously proposed with the cross-correlation technique. The classifications of patients according to both approaches were compared using kappa statistics. In 10 patients showing a hack on transcutaneous oximetry, we analyzed the results of direct iterative arterial sampling recorded during a new walking treadmill test.Clustering analysis resulted in 4 classes that closely fit the 4 most frequently proposed empirical models (cross-correlation coefficients: 0.93 to 0.97. The kappa between the two classifications was 0.865. In 10 patients showing transcutaneous hacks, the minimal direct arterial oxygen pressure value occurred at exercise onset, and these patients exhibited a recovery overshoot reaching a maximum at two minutes of recovery, confirming the walking-induced transient hypoxemia.In patients reporting exercise intolerance, transcutaneous oximetry could help to detect walking-induced transient hypoxemia, while peak-exercise arterial oximetry might be normal.

Short-term Internet search using makes people rely on search engines when facing unknown issues.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yifan; Wu, Lingdan; Luo, Liang; Zhang, Yifen; Dong, Guangheng

2017-01-01

The Internet search engines, which have powerful search/sort functions and ease of use features, have become an indispensable tool for many individuals. The current study is to test whether the short-term Internet search training can make people more dependent on it. Thirty-one subjects out of forty subjects completed the search training study which included a pre-test, a six-day's training of Internet search, and a post-test. During the pre- and post- tests, subjects were asked to search online the answers to 40 unusual questions, remember the answers and recall them in the scanner. Un-learned questions were randomly presented at the recalling stage in order to elicited search impulse. Comparing to the pre-test, subjects in the post-test reported higher impulse to use search engines to answer un-learned questions. Consistently, subjects showed higher brain activations in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex in the post-test than in the pre-test. In addition, there were significant positive correlations self-reported search impulse and brain responses in the frontal areas. The results suggest that a simple six-day's Internet search training can make people dependent on the search tools when facing unknown issues. People are easily dependent on the Internet search engines.

Short-term Internet search using makes people rely on search engines when facing unknown issues.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yifan Wang

Full Text Available The Internet search engines, which have powerful search/sort functions and ease of use features, have become an indispensable tool for many individuals. The current study is to test whether the short-term Internet search training can make people more dependent on it. Thirty-one subjects out of forty subjects completed the search training study which included a pre-test, a six-day's training of Internet search, and a post-test. During the pre- and post- tests, subjects were asked to search online the answers to 40 unusual questions, remember the answers and recall them in the scanner. Un-learned questions were randomly presented at the recalling stage in order to elicited search impulse. Comparing to the pre-test, subjects in the post-test reported higher impulse to use search engines to answer un-learned questions. Consistently, subjects showed higher brain activations in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex in the post-test than in the pre-test. In addition, there were significant positive correlations self-reported search impulse and brain responses in the frontal areas. The results suggest that a simple six-day's Internet search training can make people dependent on the search tools when facing unknown issues. People are easily dependent on the Internet search engines.

JET ({sup 3}He)-D scenarios relying on RF heating: survey of selected recent experiments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Van Eester, D; Lerche, E; Andrew, Y; Biewer, T M; Casati, A; Crombe, K; De la Luna, E; Ericsson, G; Felton, R; Giacomelli, L; Giroud, C; Hawkes, N; Hellesen, C; Hjalmarsson, A; Joffrin, E; Kaellne, J; Kiptily, V; Lomas, P; Mantica, P; Marinoni, A [JET-EFDA Culham Science Centre, Abingdon, OX14 3DB (United Kingdom)] (and others)

2009-04-15

Recent JET experiments have been devoted to the study of ({sup 3}He)-D plasmas involving radio frequency (RF) heating. This paper starts by discussing the RF heating efficiency theoretically expected in such plasmas, covering both relevant aspects of wave and of particle dynamics. Then it gives a concise summary of the main conclusions drawn from recent experiments that were either focusing on studying RF heating physics aspects or that were adopting RF heating as a tool to study plasma behavior. Depending on the minority concentration chosen, different physical phenomena are observed. At very low concentration (X[{sup 3}He] < 1%), energetic tails are formed which trigger MHD activity and result in loss of fast particles. Alfven cascades were observed and gamma ray tomography indirectly shows the impact of sawtooth crashes on the fast particle orbits. Low concentration (X[{sup 3}He] < 10%) favors minority heating while for X[{sup 3}He] >> 10% electron mode conversion damping becomes dominant. Evidence for the Fuchs et al standing wave effect (Fuchs et al 1995 Phys. Plasmas 2 1637-47) on the absorption is presented. RF induced deuterium tails were observed in mode conversion experiments with large X[{sup 3}He] ({approx}18%). As tentative modeling shows, the formation of these tails can be explained as a consequence of wave power absorption by neutral beam particles that efficiently interact with the waves well away from the cold D cyclotron resonance position as a result of their substantial Doppler shift. As both ion and electron RF power deposition profiles in ({sup 3}He)-D plasmas are fairly narrow-giving rise to localized heat sources-the RF heating method is an ideal tool for performing transport studies. Various of the experiments discussed here were done in plasmas with internal transport barriers (ITBs). ITBs are identified as regions with locally reduced diffusivity, where poloidal spinning up of the plasma is observed. The present know-how on the role of RF heating for impurity transport is also briefly summarized.

Conflict detection and resolution rely on a combination of common and distinct cognitive control networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Qi; Yang, Guochun; Li, Zhenghan; Qi, Yanyan; Cole, Michael W; Liu, Xun

2017-12-01

Cognitive control can be activated by stimulus-stimulus (S-S) and stimulus-response (S-R) conflicts. However, whether cognitive control is domain-general or domain-specific remains unclear. To deepen the understanding of the functional organization of cognitive control networks, we conducted activation likelihood estimation (ALE) from 111 neuroimaging studies to examine brain activation in conflict-related tasks. We observed that fronto-parietal and cingulo-opercular networks were commonly engaged by S-S and S-R conflicts, showing a domain-general pattern. In addition, S-S conflicts specifically activated distinct brain regions to a greater degree. These regions were implicated in the processing of the semantic-relevant attribute, including the inferior frontal cortex (IFC), superior parietal cortex (SPC), superior occipital cortex (SOC), and right anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). By contrast, S-R conflicts specifically activated the left thalamus, middle frontal cortex (MFC), and right SPC, which were associated with detecting response conflict and orienting spatial attention. These findings suggest that conflict detection and resolution involve a combination of domain-general and domain-specific cognitive control mechanisms. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The achievement gap: Should we rely on SAT scores to tell us anything about it?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dale Whittington

2004-04-01

Full Text Available Increasing numbers of students taking the SAT have declined to identify their race/ethnicity. I examined the impact of non-respondents on the validity of reported racial/ethnic differences and year-to-year changes in test performance. Using an analysis reported by Wainer (1988 and SAT data from 1996 to 2003, I confirmed Wainer’s findings that non-respondents prevent accurate estimations of group differences based on SAT data. I then explored the impact of College Board press release information on news reports about the achievement gap. I found frequent reports of racial/ethnic differences in SAT scores and year-to-year changes in scores but negligible consideration of non-respondents. Press releases and media reports should include information about non-respondents and their impact on accuracy of reported differences based on race/ethnicity.

Metabolic imidacloprid resistance in the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens, relies on multiple P450 enzymes.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yixi; Yang, Yuanxue; Sun, Huahua; Liu, Zewen

2016-12-01

Target insensitivity contributing to imidacloprid resistance in Nilaparvata lugens has been reported to occur either through point mutations or quantitative change in nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). However, the metabolic resistance, especially the enhanced detoxification by P450 enzymes, is the major mechanism in fields. From one field-originated N. lugens population, an imidacloprid resistant strain G25 and a susceptible counterpart S25 were obtained to analyze putative roles of P450s in imidacloprid resistance. Compared to S25, over-expression of twelve P450 genes was observed in G25, with ratios above 5.0-fold for CYP6AY1, CYP6ER1, CYP6CS1, CYP6CW1, CYP4CE1 and CYP425B1. RNAi against these genes in vivo and recombinant tests on the corresponding proteins in vitro revealed that four P450s, CYP6AY1, CYP6ER1, CYP4CE1 and CYP6CW1, played important roles in imidacloprid resistance. The importance of the four P450s was not equal at different stages of resistance development based on their over-expression levels, among which CYP6ER1 was important at all stages, and that the others might only contribute at certain stages. The results indicated that, to completely reflect roles of P450s in insecticide resistances, their over-expression in resistant individuals, expression changes at the stages of resistance development, and catalytic activities against insecticides should be considered. In this study, multiple P450s, CYP6AY1, CYP6ER1, CYP4CE1 and CYP6CW1, have proven to be important in imidacloprid resistance. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mask induction despite circuit obstruction: an unrecognized hazard of relying on automated machine check technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Kamie K; Lewis, Ian H

2014-06-15

Various equipment malfunctions of anesthesia gas delivery systems have been previously reported. Our profession increasingly uses technology as a means to prevent these errors. We report a case of a near-total anesthesia circuit obstruction that went undetected before the induction of anesthesia despite the use of automated machine check technology. This case highlights that automated machine check modules can fail to detect severe equipment failure and demonstrates how, even in this era of expanding technology, manual checks still remain essential components of safe care.

Property Mix Heterogeneity and Market Cycles: How Much Can We Rely on Median-Price Indices?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Odilon Ricardo da Hora Gonçalves Fernandes Costa

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Objective. Understand in which types of location median-price indices could provide reasonable estimates of rent growth. As far as our research allows, the market-based measures developed througout this study are the first to emphasize office properties in Brazil using an hedonic framework.Methodology. Create appraisal-based indices of rent growth using median-price and hedonic-based techniques for two regions with different degrees of property mix heterogeneity and compare their behavior overtime.Findings. Volatility in median-price measures is larger than hedonic-based measures in market peaks and throughs due to different weighting of high and low-tier properties overtime. This result is stronger in the location with higher property mix heterogeneity and, consequently, exacerbates market cycles in this region.  Limitations. We do not find statistically significant differences between the measures considered. Nevertheless, we do not consider whether this similarity would hold when using transactional-based data.    Value. Our results suggest that researchers, policy makers and investors need to take into account the “undesired fluctuation” of median-price measures when interpreting such indices.  

La Observación Sistemática de Vecindarios: El caso de Chile y sus perspectivas para Trabajo Social

Science.gov (United States)

Sanhueza, Guillermo E.; Delva, Jorge; Andrade, Fernando H.; Grogan-Kaylor, Andrew; Bares, Cristina; Castillo, Marcela

2012-01-01

El estudio acerca de las características de los vecindarios y sus efectos sobre las personas ha llegado a ser un área de creciente atención por parte de investigadores de diversas disciplinas en países desarrollados. Aunque actualmente existen diversas metodologías para estudiar efectos del vecindario, una de las más utilizadas es la Observación Sistemática de Vecindarios –Systematic Social Observation SSO, en inglés—porque permite recolectar información acerca de diversas características del entorno físico, social, ambiental y económico de los vecindarios donde se aplica. El objetivo de este artículo es (i) dar a conocer sumariamente algunas investigaciones influyentes sobre efectos del vecindario en Estados Unidos, ii) describir cómo se diseñó e implementó la Observación Sistemática de Vecindarios en la ciudad de Santiago de Chile, iii) señalar algunos facilitadores y obstaculizadores de la implementación del proyecto y, finalmente iv) enunciar posibles contribuciones y limitaciones que esta metodología ofrecería al trabajo social en Chile. PMID:24791060

A particle-based simplified swarm optimization algorithm for reliability redundancy allocation problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Chia-Ling

2015-01-01

This paper proposes a new swarm intelligence method known as the Particle-based Simplified Swarm Optimization (PSSO) algorithm while undertaking a modification of the Updating Mechanism (UM), called N-UM and R-UM, and simultaneously applying an Orthogonal Array Test (OA) to solve reliability–redundancy allocation problems (RRAPs) successfully. One difficulty of RRAP is the need to maximize system reliability in cases where the number of redundant components and the reliability of corresponding components in each subsystem are simultaneously decided with nonlinear constraints. In this paper, four RRAP benchmarks are used to display the applicability of the proposed PSSO that advances the strengths of both PSO and SSO to enable optimizing the RRAP that belongs to mixed-integer nonlinear programming. When the computational results are compared with those of previously developed algorithms in existing literature, the findings indicate that the proposed PSSO is highly competitive and performs well. - Highlights: • This paper proposes a particle-based simplified swarm optimization algorithm (PSSO) to optimize RRAP. • Furthermore, the UM and an OA are adapted to advance in optimizing RRAP. • Four systems are introduced and the results demonstrate the PSSO performs particularly well

Construction of novel shuttle expression vectors for gene expression in Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus pumilus.

Science.gov (United States)

Shao, Huanhuan; Cao, Qinghua; Zhao, Hongyan; Tan, Xuemei; Feng, Hong

2015-01-01

A native plasmid (pSU01) was detected by genome sequencing of Bacillus subtilis strain S1-4. Two pSU01-based shuttle expression vectors pSU02-AP and pSU03-AP were constructed enabling stable replication in B. subtilis WB600. These vectors contained the reporter gene aprE, encoding an alkaline protease from Bacillus pumilus BA06. The expression vector pSU03-AP only possessed the minimal replication elements (rep, SSO, DSO) and exhibited more stability on structure, suggesting that the rest of the genes in pSU01 (ORF1, ORF2, mob, hsp) were unessential for the structural stability of plasmid in B. subtilis. In addition, recombinant production of the alkaline protease was achieved more efficiently with pSU03-AP whose copy number was estimated to be more than 100 per chromosome. Furthermore, pSU03-AP could also be used to transform and replicate in B. pumilus BA06 under selective pressure. In conclusion, pSU03-AP is expected to be a useful tool for gene expression in Bacillus subtilis and B. pumilus.

Security of social network credentials for accessing course portal: Users' experience

Science.gov (United States)

Katuk, Norliza; Fong, Choo Sok; Chun, Koo Lee

2015-12-01

Social login (SL) has recently emerged as a solution for single sign-on (SSO) within the web and mobile environments. It allows users to use their existing social network credentials (SNC) to login to third party web applications without the need to create a new identity in the intended applications' database. Although it has been used by many web application providers, its' applicability in accessing learning materials is not yet fully investigated. Hence, this research aims to explore users' (i.e., instructors' and students') perception and experience on the security of SL for accessing learning contents. A course portal was developed for students at a higher learning institution and it provides two types of user authentications (i) traditional user authentication, and (ii) SL facility. Users comprised instructors and students evaluated the login facility of the course portal through a controlled lab experimental study following the within-subject design. The participants provided their feedback in terms of the security of SL for accessing learning contents. The study revealed that users preferred to use SL over the traditional authentication, however, they concerned on the security of SL and their privacy.

Engineering of DNA polymerase I from Thermus thermophilus using compartmentalized self-replication.

Science.gov (United States)

Aye, Seaim Lwin; Fujiwara, Kei; Ueki, Asuka; Doi, Nobuhide

2018-05-05

Although compartmentalized self-replication (CSR) and compartmentalized partnered replication (CPR) are powerful tools for directed evolution of proteins and gene circuits, limitations remain in the emulsion PCR process with the wild-type Taq DNA polymerase used so far, including long run times, low amounts of product, and false negative results due to inhibitors. In this study, we developed a high-efficiency mutant of DNA polymerase I from Thermus thermophilus HB27 (Tth pol) suited for CSR and CPR. We modified the wild-type Tth pol by (i) deletion of the N-terminal 5' to 3' exonuclease domain, (ii) fusion with the DNA-binding protein Sso7d, (iii) introduction of four known effective point mutations from other DNA polymerase mutants, and (iv) codon optimization to reduce the GC content. Consequently, we obtained a mutant that provides higher product yields than the conventional Taq pol without decreased fidelity. Next, we performed four rounds of CSR selection with a randomly mutated library of this modified Tth pol and obtained mutants that provide higher product yields in fewer cycles of emulsion PCR than the parent Tth pol as well as the conventional Taq pol. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Space Shuttle Underside Astronaut Communications Performance Evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

Hwu, Shian U.; Dobbins, Justin A.; Loh, Yin-Chung; Kroll, Quin D.; Sham, Catherine C.

2005-01-01

The Space Shuttle Ultra High Frequency (UHF) communications system is planned to provide Radio Frequency (RF) coverage for astronauts working underside of the Space Shuttle Orbiter (SSO) for thermal tile inspection and repairing. This study is to assess the Space Shuttle UHF communication performance for astronauts in the shadow region without line-of-sight (LOS) to the Space Shuttle and Space Station UHF antennas. To insure the RF coverage performance at anticipated astronaut worksites, the link margin between the UHF antennas and Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Astronauts with significant vehicle structure blockage was analyzed. A series of near-field measurements were performed using the NASA/JSC Anechoic Chamber Antenna test facilities. Computational investigations were also performed using the electromagnetic modeling techniques. The computer simulation tool based on the Geometrical Theory of Diffraction (GTD) was used to compute the signal strengths. The signal strength was obtained by computing the reflected and diffracted fields along the propagation paths between the transmitting and receiving antennas. Based on the results obtained in this study, RF coverage for UHF communication links was determined for the anticipated astronaut worksite in the shadow region underneath the Space Shuttle.

Motions and solar magnetic fields

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Krat, V A [AN SSSR, Leningrad. Glavnaya Astronomicheskaya Observatoriya

1977-02-01

Fine structure of magnetic fields in the Sun has been investigated. The data of the Soviet solar stratospheric observatory (SSO) with the telescope with a mirror first of 50 and then 100 cm in diameter obtained for the period of 1970-1973 served as material for research. The experiments give evidence of the presence of photospheric granulation with the characteristic dimension of granules below 150 km. The angular resolution of instruments does not make it possible to realize direct measurements of magnetic fields of such sizes. The indirect estimates indicate the fact that the magnetic fields of photosphere cannot be less than 10/sup 2/ Oe. A comparison of Hsub(..cap alpha..) lines with lines of metals and with the continuous spectrum shows that the least dimensions of chromosphere elements account for 500 km. Since in chromosphere density decreases drastically, than in order to suppress hydrodynamic flows fields should be of the order of 10/sup 3/ Oe. It has been concluded that the problem of the origin and evolution of the magnetic field of the Sun should be also solved by applying data on other stars.

DETECTION OF POLLEN FLOW IN THE SEEDLING SEED ORCHARD OF Acacia mangium USING DNA MARKER

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vivi Yuskianti

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Pollen pattern dispersal in seedling seed orchard (SSO is an essential part of a tree-improvement program. Two SSOs of Acacia mangium in South Kalimantan and South Sumatra that represent similar resources in different environments were used in this study.  Genotypes of all trees and seeds from a subset of 10 mother trees in each orchard were determined for 12 microsatellite loci, and parentage analysis was carried out. The results shows that the pollen dispersal pattern in both SSOs decrease with distance from mother tree. Patterns of pollen dispersal, dispersal distance and cumulative frequency of pollen dispersal distance were similar in both SSOs. Random pollen dispersal were found in both SSOs. About 80% of all crosses were found within a 40-m distance range with the most frequent pollination distance between mother tree and male male parents was 0-10 m. No self-pollinated seed was detected. Application of all these aspects found in this study such as random pollen dispersal and the effective pollen dispersal distance can be useful for establishing seedling seed orchard, clonal seed orchard and in other tree improvement activities of A. mangium.

Relationship between assimilable-nutrient content and physicochemical properties of topsoil

Science.gov (United States)

Tkaczyk, Przemysław; Bednarek, Wiesław; Dresler, Sławomir; Krzyszczak, Jaromir; Baranowski, Piotr; Sławiński, Cezary

2017-10-01

In the years 2008-2011, an environmental study was conducted for Polish soils, focusing on the south-eastern Poland soils, as they exhibit significant acidification. This study aimed at assessing the current pHKCl and the supply of basic macro- (P, K, Mg and S-SO4) and microelements (B, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn) in the collected soil samples, and also at determining their relationship with the soil agronomic category, humus content and pH class. Soil reaction and humus and macronutrient content were positively correlated with the amount of colloidal clay and particles macro-element content in the soil was positively correlated with soil pH and humus content. As for microelements, a usually significant and positive correlation was found between the soil agronomic category and the content of manganese, iron and zinc, whereas for the content of boron and copper, no such relationship was observed. A significant and positive correlation between soil reaction and the content of manganese, iron and boron was also found. Such correlations were not observed in relation to copper and zinc content. Statistical analysis indicated that the content of boron and manganese depended to the greatest extent on the investigated physicochemical properties.

Multi-Stage Hybrid Rocket Conceptual Design for Micro-Satellites Launch using Genetic Algorithm

Science.gov (United States)

Kitagawa, Yosuke; Kitagawa, Koki; Nakamiya, Masaki; Kanazaki, Masahiro; Shimada, Toru

The multi-objective genetic algorithm (MOGA) is applied to the multi-disciplinary conceptual design problem for a three-stage launch vehicle (LV) with a hybrid rocket engine (HRE). MOGA is an optimization tool used for multi-objective problems. The parallel coordinate plot (PCP), which is a data mining method, is employed in the post-process in MOGA for design knowledge discovery. A rocket that can deliver observing micro-satellites to the sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) is designed. It consists of an oxidizer tank containing liquid oxidizer, a combustion chamber containing solid fuel, a pressurizing tank and a nozzle. The objective functions considered in this study are to minimize the total mass of the rocket and to maximize the ratio of the payload mass to the total mass. To calculate the thrust and the engine size, the regression rate is estimated based on an empirical model for a paraffin (FT-0070) propellant. Several non-dominated solutions are obtained using MOGA, and design knowledge is discovered for the present hybrid rocket design problem using a PCP analysis. As a result, substantial knowledge on the design of an LV with an HRE is obtained for use in space transportation.

The effect of acid rain and altitude on concentration, δ34S, and δ18O of sulfate in the water from Sudety Mountains, Poland

Science.gov (United States)

Szynkiewicz, Anna; Modelska, Magdalena; Jedrysek, Mariusz Orion; Mastalerz, Maria

2008-01-01

The analyses of sulfate content, δ34S and δ18O of dissolved sulfate, and δ18O of water were carried out in a 14 km2 crystalline massif located in the Sudety Mountains (SW Poland) to 1) assess the amount of the sulfate delivered to the surface and groundwater systems by modern atmospheric precipitation, 2) determine the effect of altitude on these parameters, and 3) investigate their seasonal variations. In April and November of 2002, August 2003, and March and September of 2005, samples of water were collected from springs and streams of the massif. During these seasons, sulfate contents and δ18O(SO42−) values varied from 5.80 to 18.00 mg/l and from 3.96 to 8.23‰, respectively, showing distinctively higher values ofδ18O(SO42−) in wet seasons. The δ34S(SO42−) values had a relatively narrow range from 4.09 to 5.28‰ and were similar to those reported for organic matter in soil and the canopy throughfall in the Sudety Mountains.

COSMOS Launch Services

Science.gov (United States)

Kalnins, Indulis

2002-01-01

COSMOS-3M is a two stage launcher with liquid propellant rocket engines. Since 1960's COSMOS has launched satellites of up to 1.500kg in both circular low Earth and elliptical orbits with high inclination. The direct SSO ascent is available from Plesetsk launch site. The very high number of 759 launches and the achieved success rate of 97,4% makes this space transportation system one of the most reliable and successful launchers in the world. The German small satellite company OHB System co-operates since 1994 with the COSMOS manufacturer POLYOT, Omsk, in Russia. They have created the joint venture COSMOS International and successfully launched five German and Italian satellites in 1999 and 2000. The next commercial launches are contracted for 2002 and 2003. In 2005 -2007 COSMOS will be also used for the new German reconnaissance satellite launches. This paper provides an overview of COSMOS-3M launcher: its heritage and performance, examples of scientific and commercial primary and piggyback payload launches, the launch service organization and international cooperation. The COSMOS launch service business strategy main points are depicted. The current and future position of COSMOS in the worldwide market of launch services is outlined.

Early LC3 lipidation induced by d-limonene does not rely on mTOR inhibition, ERK activation and ROS production and it is associated with reduced clonogenic capacity of SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Berliocchi, Laura; Chiappini, Carlotta; Adornetto, Annagrazia; Gentile, Debora; Cerri, Silvia; Russo, Rossella; Bagetta, Giacinto; Corasaniti, Maria Tiziana

2018-02-01

d-Limonene is a natural monoterpene abundant in Citrus essential oils. It is endowed with several biological activities, including inhibition of carcinogenesis and promotion of tumour regression. Recently, d-limonene has been shown to modulate autophagic markers in vitro at concentrations found in vivo, in clinical pharmacokinetic studies. Autophagy is an intracellular catabolic process serving as both an adaptive metabolic response and a quality control mechanism. Because autophagy defects have been linked to a wide range of human pathologies, including neurodegeneration and cancer, there is a need for new pharmacological tools to control deregulated autophagy. To better understand the effects of d-limonene on autophagy, to identify the molecular mechanisms through which this monoterpene rapidly triggers LC3 lipidation and to evaluate the role for autophagy in long-term effects of d-limonene. Human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma, HepG2 hepatocellular carcinoma and MCF7 breast cancer cells were used. Endogenous LC3-II levels were evaluated by western blotting. Autophagic flux assay was performed using bafilomycin A1 and chloroquine. Intracellular distribution of LC3 protein was studied by confocal microscopy analysis of LC3B-GFP transduced cells. Expression of lysosomal-membrane protein LAMP-1 was assessed by immunofluorescence analysis. Phosphorylated levels of downstream substrates of mTOR kinase (p70S6 kinase, 4E-BP1, and ULK1) and ERK were analyzed by western blotting. Production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was assessed by live confocal microscopy of cells loaded with CellROX ® Green Reagent. Clonogenic assay was used to evaluate the ability of treated cells to proliferate and form colonies. LC3 lipidation promoted by d-limonene correlates with autophagosome formation and stimulation of basal autophagy. LC3 lipidation does not rely on inhibition of mTOR kinase, which instead appears to be transiently activated. In addition, d-limonene rapidly activates ERK and

Do we really rely on fast for decision-making in the management of blunt abdominal trauma?

Science.gov (United States)

Carter, Jeffrey W; Falco, Mark H; Chopko, Michael S; Flynn, William J; Wiles Iii, Charles E; Guo, Weidun Alan

2015-05-01

The Focused Assessment with Sonography in Trauma examination (FAST) is currently taught and recommended in the ATLS(®), often as an addendum to the primary survey for patients with blunt abdominal trauma. Although it is non-invasive and rapidly performed at bedside, the utility of FAST in blunt abdominal trauma has been questioned. We designed this study to examine our hypothesis that FAST is not an efficacious screening tool for identifying intra-abdominal injuries. We performed a retrospective chart review of all patients with confirmatory diagnosis of blunt abdominal injuries with CT and/or laparotomy for a period of 1.5 years (from 7/2009 to 11/2010). FAST was performed by ED residents and considered positive when free intra-abdominal fluid was visualized. Abdominal CT, or exploratory laparotomy findings were used as confirmation of intra-abdominal injury. A total of 1671 blunt trauma patients were admitted to and evaluated in the Emergency Department during a 1½ year period and 146 patients were confirmed intra-abdominal injuries by CT and/or laparotomy. Intraoperative findings include injuries to the liver, spleen, kidneys, and bowels. In 114 hemodynamically stable patients, FAST was positive in 25 patients, with a sensitivity of 22%. In 32 hemodynamically unstable patients, FAST was positive in 9 patients, with a sensitivity of 28%. A free peritoneal fluid and splenic injury are associated with a positive FAST on univariate analysis, and are the independent predictors for a positive FAST on multiple logistic regression. FAST has a very low sensitivity in detecting blunt intraabdominal injury. In hemodynamically stable patients, a negative FAST without a CT may result in missed intra-abdominal injuries. In hemodynamically unstable blunt trauma patients, with clear physical findings on examination, the decision for exploratory laparotomy should not be distracted by a negative FAST. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

New Departure from Nucleate Boiling model relying on first principle energy balance at the boiling surface

Science.gov (United States)

Demarly, Etienne; Baglietto, Emilio

2017-11-01

Predictions of Departure from Nucleate Boiling have been a longstanding challenge when designing heat exchangers such as boilers or nuclear reactors. Many mechanistic models have been postulated over more than 50 years in order to explain this phenomenon but none is able to predict accurately the conditions which trigger the sudden change of heat transfer mode. This work aims at demonstrating the pertinence of a new approach for detecting DNB by leveraging recent experimental insights. The new model proposed departs from all the previous models by making the DNB inception come from an energy balance instability at the heating surface rather than a hydrodynamic instability of the bubbly layer above the surface (Zuber, 1959). The main idea is to modulate the amount of heat flux being exchanged via the nucleate boiling mechanism by the wetted area fraction on the surface, thus allowing a completely automatic trigger of DNB that doesn't require any parameter prescription. This approach is implemented as a surrogate model in MATLAB in order to validate the principles of the model in a simple and controlled geometry. Good agreement is found with the experimental data leveraged from the MIT Flow Boiling at various flow regimes. Consortium for Advanced Simulation of Light Water Reactors (CASL).

Enhancing memory performance after organic brain disease relies on retrieval processes rather than encoding or consolidation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hildebrandt, H.; Gehrmann, A.; Mödden, C.; Eling, P.A.T.M.

2011-01-01

Neuropsychological rehabilitation of memory performance is still a controversial topic, and rehabilitation studies have not analyzed to which stage of memory processing (encoding, consolidation, or retrieval) enhancement may be attributed. We first examined the efficacy of a computer training

The Importance of Relying on the Manual: Scoring Error Variance in the WISC-IV Vocabulary Subtest

Science.gov (United States)

Erdodi, Laszlo A.; Richard, David C. S.; Hopwood, Christopher

2009-01-01

Classical test theory assumes that ability level has no effect on measurement error. Newer test theories, however, argue that the precision of a measurement instrument changes as a function of the examinee's true score. Research has shown that administration errors are common in the Wechsler scales and that subtests requiring subjective scoring…

Resting lymphocyte transduction with measles virus glycoprotein pseudotyped lentiviral vectors relies on CD46 and SLAM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou Qi; Schneider, Irene C.; Gallet, Manuela; Kneissl, Sabrina; Buchholz, Christian J.

2011-01-01

The measles virus (MV) glycoproteins hemagglutinin (H) and fusion (F) were recently shown to mediate transduction of resting lymphocytes by lentiviral vectors. MV vaccine strains use CD46 or signaling lymphocyte activation molecule (SLAM) as receptor for cell entry. A panel of H protein mutants derived from vaccine strain or wild-type MVs that lost or gained CD46 or SLAM receptor usage were investigated for their ability to mediate gene transfer into unstimulated T lymphocytes. The results demonstrate that CD46 is sufficient for efficient vector particle association with unstimulated lymphocytes. For stable gene transfer into these cells, however, both MV receptors were found to be essential.

Improving listening comprehension skills relying on metacognitive strategies - focus on vocabulary and specific l2 instruction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jerotijević-Tišma Danica

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The present paper aims at investigating the application of an instructional method specifically focused on the expansion of metacognitive awareness and its effect on Serbian EFL students’ listening comprehension. The current study is a follow-up research of a similar study by Vandergrift and Tafaghodtari (2010. However, we sought to expand the previous research by investigating the relationship between the students’ current level of L2 (target language vocabulary and listening test scores. Our study likewise differed in the sample of participants, the target language, teaching and testing material used, and the duration of the very experiment. To answer the proposed research questions we conducted an experiment with 57 Serbian secondary school EFL (English as a Foreign Language learners divided into experimental (n=27 and control group (n=30. The results of the pre- and post-tests of the two groups showed the beneficial effects of developing metacognitive strategies and the strong positive correlation between the level of vocabulary and listening comprehension. The paper underlines important pedagogical implications especially regarding the enhancement of metacognitive awareness and vocabulary proficiency of students in order to improve performance on listening comprehension tasks.

Method to mosaic gratings that relies on analysis of far-field intensity patterns in two wavelengths

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Yao; Zeng, Lijiang; Li, Lifeng

2007-01-01

We propose an experimental method to coherently mosaic two planar diffraction gratings. The method uses a Twyman-Green interferometer to guarantee the planar parallelism of the two sub-aperture gratings, and obtains the in-plane rotational error and the two translational errors from analysis of the far-field diffraction intensity patterns in two alignment wavelengths. We adjust the relative attitude and position of the two sub-aperture gratings to produce Airy disk diffraction patterns in both wavelengths. In our experiment, the repeatability of in-plane rotation adjustment was 2.35 μrad and that of longitudinal adjustment was 0.11 μm. The accuracy of lateral adjustment was about 2.9% of the grating period.

Diagnosis of sclerosing hemangioma of lung: Don′t rely on fine-needle aspiration cytology diagnosis alone

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kaushik Saha

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Sclerosing hemangioma is a rare variety of benign pulmonary neoplasm. It usually presents as asymptomatic, solitary, peripheral, circumscribed lesions in middle-aged women. Here, we describe a 46-year-old woman presenting to us for evaluation of right parahilar lung mass. Previous chest radiography done 10 years back showed a lung mass of almost similar size. Computed Tomography (CT-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC was suggestive of adenocarcinoma of lung. A well-circumscribed, capsulated, ovoid mass measuring 5.6 cm × 4 cm × 3 cm, adjacent to the transverse fissure of the right lung was excised by lateral thoracotomy. Histopathological examination along with immunohistochemistry was suggestive of sclerosing hemangioma of lung. A pathologist must consider the clinicoradiological features before coming to a final diagnosis of lung malignancy from FNAC. Whenever there is any confusion regarding lung mass, thoracotomy must be done for arriving at an exact diagnosis from histopathology.

Early CT perfusion mismatch in acute stroke is not time-dependent but relies on collateralization grade

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baumgarten, Louisa von; Straube, Andreas [University of Munich Hospitals, Department of Neurology, Munich (Germany); Thierfelder, Kolja M.; Beyer, Sebastian E.; Baumann, Alena B.; Bollwein, Christine; Reiser, Maximilian F.; Sommer, Wieland H. [Ludwig-Maximilians-University Hospital Munich, Institute for Clinical Radiology, Munich (Germany); Janssen, Hendrik [Ludwig-Maximilians-University Hospital Munich, Department of Neuroradiology, Munich (Germany)

2016-04-15

Factors that determine the extent of the penumbra in the initial diagnostic workup using whole brain CT Perfusion (WB-CTP) remain unclear. The purpose of the current study was to determine a possible dependency of the initial mismatch size between cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cerebral blood volume (CBV) from time after symptom onset, leptomeningeal collateralization, and occlusion localization in acute middle cerebral artery (MCA) infarctions. Out of an existing cohort of 992 consecutive patients receiving multiparametric CT scans including WB-CTP due to suspected stroke, we included patients who had (1) a witnessed time of symptom onset, (2) an infarction of the MCA territory as documented by follow-up imaging, and (3) an initial CBF volume of >10 ml. CBF and CBV lesion sizes, collateralization grade, and the site of occlusion were determined. We included 103 patients. Univariate analysis showed that time from symptom onset (168 +/- 91.2 min) did not correlate with relative or absolute mismatch volumes (p = 0.458 and p = 0.921). Higher collateralization gradings were associated with small absolute mismatch volumes (p = 0.004 and p < 0.001). Internal carotid artery (ICA) occlusions were associated with large absolute mismatch volumes (p = 0.004). Multivariate analysis confirmed that ICA occlusion was associated with large absolute mismatch volumes (p = 0.005), and high collateral grade was associated with small absolute mismatch volumes (p = 0.017). There is no significant correlation between initial CTP mismatch and time after symptom onset. Predictors of mismatch size include the extent of the collaterals and a proximal location of the occlusion. (orig.)

Development of a millimetrically scaled biodiesel transesterification device that relies on droplet-based co-axial fluidics

Science.gov (United States)

Yeh, S. I.; Huang, Y. C.; Cheng, C. H.; Cheng, C. M.; Yang, J. T.

2016-07-01

In this study, we investigated a fluidic system that adheres to new concepts of energy production. To improve efficiency, cost, and ease of manufacture, a millimetrically scaled device that employs a droplet-based co-axial fluidic system was devised to complete alkali-catalyzed transesterification for biodiesel production. The large surface-to-volume ratio of the droplet-based system, and the internal circulation induced inside the moving droplets, significantly enhanced the reaction rate of immiscible liquids used here - soybean oil and methanol. This device also decreased the molar ratio between methanol and oil to near the stoichiometric coefficients of a balanced chemical equation, which enhanced the total biodiesel volume produced, and decreased the costs of purification and recovery of excess methanol. In this work, the droplet-based co-axial fluidic system performed better than other methods of continuous-flow production. We achieved an efficiency that is much greater than that of reported systems. This study demonstrated the high potential of droplet-based fluidic chips for energy production. The small energy consumption and low cost of the highly purified biodiesel transesterification system described conforms to the requirements of distributed energy (inexpensive production on a moderate scale) in the world.

Polyploid species rely on vegetative reproduction more than diploids: a re-examination of the old hypothesis

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Herben, Tomáš; Suda, Jan; Klimešová, Jitka

2017-01-01

Roč. 120, č. 2 (2017), s. 341-349 ISSN 0305-7364 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA16-19245S Institutional support: RVO:67985939 Keywords : phylogenetic analysis * clonal traits * correlated evolution Subject RIV: EF - Botanics OBOR OECD: Plant sciences, botany Impact factor: 4.041, year: 2016

Alterações de características químicas do solo e resposta da soja ao calcário e gesso aplicados na superfície em sistema de cultivo sem preparo do solo

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. F. Caires

1998-03-01

Full Text Available O experimento foi desenvolvido em um Latossolo Vermelho-Escuro distrófico, em Ponta Grossa (PR, com o objetivo de avaliar os efeitos da aplicação de calcário e gesso na superfície sobre as características químicas do solo e resposta da soja cultivada em sistema de cultivo sem preparo do solo. O delineamento experimental empregado foi o de blocos ao acaso em parcela subdividida, com três repetições. Foram utilizadas quatro doses de calcário dolomítico, com 84% de PRNT: 0, 2, 4 e 6 t ha-1, e quatro doses de gesso agrícola: 0, 4, 8 e 12 t ha-1. A calagem foi realizada em julho, e a aplicação de gesso em novembro de 1993. A cultura da soja foi avaliada nos anos agrícolas de 1993/94 e 1995/96. A soja não respondeu à aplicação de calcário e gesso na superfície, em solo com pH (CaCl2 0,01 mol L-1 4,5 e 32% de saturação por bases na camada de 0-20 cm. A calagem proporcionou correção da acidez do solo, revelada pela elevação do pH e redução do alumínio trocável, até a profundidade de 10 cm e em camadas subsuperficiais, mostrando que a ação do calcário aplicado na superfície, em áreas com cultivos já estabelecidos, não preparadas convencionalmente, pode atingir camadas mais profundas de solo. Esse efeito foi observado doze meses após a aplicação do corretivo, tendo sido mais pronunciado após vinte e oito meses. A aplicação de gesso causou redução do alumínio trocável, elevou os teores de cálcio em todo o perfil do solo e provocou lixiviação de bases, principalmente de magnésio, tendo sido esta mais acentuada na presença de maiores teores de magnésio trocável no solo. Após vinte e quatro meses, foram recuperados cerca de 40% do S-SO4 e 60% do cálcio aplicados pelo gesso na dose de 12 t ha-1, até a profundidade de 80 cm. Desse total recuperado, apenas 10% do S-SO4 e 25% do cálcio foram encontrados na camada de 0-20 cm de solo.

Produção de fitomassa e acúmulo de nutrientes pela aveia-preta em função da aplicação de calcário e gesso em superfície na implantação do sistema plantio direto Black oat phytomass and nutrient accumulation as affected by surface application of lime and phosphogypsum during establishment of no-tillage system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rogério Peres Soratto

2008-08-01

Full Text Available Com o objetivo de avaliar a influência da aplicação de calcário e gesso em superfície, na implantação do sistema plantio direto, sobre a produção de matéria seca e ciclagem de nutrientes pela aveia-preta, foi realizado um experimento, nos anos de 2003 e 2004, em um Latossolo Vermelho distroférrico. O delineamento foi de blocos casualizados com parcelas subdivididas e quatro repetições. As parcelas foram constituídas por quatro doses de calcário dolomítico (0, 1.100, 2.700 e 4.300kg ha-1 e as subparcelas pela aplicação ou não de 2.100kg ha-1 de gesso agrícola. Os tratamentos foram aplicados em outubro de 2002. A aplicação de calcário em superfície não afetou a produção de matéria seca da aveia-preta em sistema plantio direto, tanto na presença quanto na ausência de gesso. O teor de Ca e S-SO4(2- no solo e a absorção de S pela cultura da aveia-preta foram incrementados pela aplicação de gesso agrícola. Em ano com menor disponibilidade hídrica, a aplicação de gesso agrícola em superfície favoreceu a produção de matéria seca e aumentou os teores de N e Ca, e o acúmulo de N, Ca, Fe e Zn pela aveia-preta.In order to evaluate the influence of lime and phosphogypsum surface application, during establishment of no-tillage system, on black oat dry matter yield and nutrient cycling, an experiment was carried out during 2003 and 2004, on a Haplorthox. A randomized complete block design, in split-plot arrangement, and four replications was used. The plots consisted of four dolomitic limestone levels (0; 1,100; 2,700; and 4,300kg ha-1. The subplots were represented by presence or absence of phosphogypsum application (2,100kg ha-1. The treatments were applied in October 2002. Surface application of lime did not affect black oat dry matter yield in no-tillage system, in both presence and absence of phosphogypsum application. Phosphogypsum increased Ca and S-SO4(2- contents in soil and S uptake by black oat crop. In

Adaptation of the symbiotic Mesorhizobium-chickpea relationship to phosphate deficiency relies on reprogramming of whole-plant metabolism.

Science.gov (United States)

Nasr Esfahani, Maryam; Kusano, Miyako; Nguyen, Kien Huu; Watanabe, Yasuko; Ha, Chien Van; Saito, Kazuki; Sulieman, Saad; Herrera-Estrella, Luis; Tran, L S

2016-08-09

Low inorganic phosphate (Pi) availability is a major constraint for efficient nitrogen fixation in legumes, including chickpea. To elucidate the mechanisms involved in nodule acclimation to low Pi availability, two Mesorhizobium-chickpea associations exhibiting differential symbiotic performances, Mesorhizobium ciceri CP-31 (McCP-31)-chickpea and Mesorhizobium mediterranum SWRI9 (MmSWRI9)-chickpea, were comprehensively studied under both control and low Pi conditions. MmSWRI9-chickpea showed a lower symbiotic efficiency under low Pi availability than McCP-31-chickpea as evidenced by reduced growth parameters and down-regulation of nifD and nifK These differences can be attributed to decline in Pi level in MmSWRI9-induced nodules under low Pi stress, which coincided with up-regulation of several key Pi starvation-responsive genes, and accumulation of asparagine in nodules and the levels of identified amino acids in Pi-deficient leaves of MmSWRI9-inoculated plants exceeding the shoot nitrogen requirement during Pi starvation, indicative of nitrogen feedback inhibition. Conversely, Pi levels increased in nodules of Pi-stressed McCP-31-inoculated plants, because these plants evolved various metabolic and biochemical strategies to maintain nodular Pi homeostasis under Pi deficiency. These adaptations involve the activation of alternative pathways of carbon metabolism, enhanced production and exudation of organic acids from roots into the rhizosphere, and the ability to protect nodule metabolism against Pi deficiency-induced oxidative stress. Collectively, the adaptation of symbiotic efficiency under Pi deficiency resulted from highly coordinated processes with an extensive reprogramming of whole-plant metabolism. The findings of this study will enable us to design effective breeding and genetic engineering strategies to enhance symbiotic efficiency in legume crops.

Design basis knowledge management for the newcomer countries. Relying on the owner/operator as a knowledgeable customer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lepouze, Benoît

2013-01-01

Becoming a knowledgeable customer is the first step to manage knowledge: • Vendors, consulting firms, TSOs can assist the future operator but it will remain the sole owner of the decisions; • Future owner operator has to become a knowledgeable customer: • Know what to ask for, • Know how to ask for it, • Know how to check if it got what it asked. • Where should knowledge management belong (management?, HRD?, procurement?) and is it important? What it means for DBKM ? (example): • The owner/operator (the licensee) is responsible in front of the safety agency: it should answer its questions at every stage of the program; • It will often turn back to its vendor/suppliers especially for detailed design questions; • But that means it has to know what to ask for and to check the result before talking to the regulator; • That also means it has to make sure knowledge is managed throughout the life of the program

Argot2: a large scale function prediction tool relying on semantic similarity of weighted Gene Ontology terms.

Science.gov (United States)

Falda, Marco; Toppo, Stefano; Pescarolo, Alessandro; Lavezzo, Enrico; Di Camillo, Barbara; Facchinetti, Andrea; Cilia, Elisa; Velasco, Riccardo; Fontana, Paolo

2012-03-28

Predicting protein function has become increasingly demanding in the era of next generation sequencing technology. The task to assign a curator-reviewed function to every single sequence is impracticable. Bioinformatics tools, easy to use and able to provide automatic and reliable annotations at a genomic scale, are necessary and urgent. In this scenario, the Gene Ontology has provided the means to standardize the annotation classification with a structured vocabulary which can be easily exploited by computational methods. Argot2 is a web-based function prediction tool able to annotate nucleic or protein sequences from small datasets up to entire genomes. It accepts as input a list of sequences in FASTA format, which are processed using BLAST and HMMER searches vs UniProKB and Pfam databases respectively; these sequences are then annotated with GO terms retrieved from the UniProtKB-GOA database and the terms are weighted using the e-values from BLAST and HMMER. The weighted GO terms are processed according to both their semantic similarity relations described by the Gene Ontology and their associated score. The algorithm is based on the original idea developed in a previous tool called Argot. The entire engine has been completely rewritten to improve both accuracy and computational efficiency, thus allowing for the annotation of complete genomes. The revised algorithm has been already employed and successfully tested during in-house genome projects of grape and apple, and has proven to have a high precision and recall in all our benchmark conditions. It has also been successfully compared with Blast2GO, one of the methods most commonly employed for sequence annotation. The server is freely accessible at http://www.medcomp.medicina.unipd.it/Argot2.

Immigrant and Refugee Students across "Receiving" Nations: To What Extent Can Educators Rely on PISA for Answers?

Science.gov (United States)

Rubinstein-Avila, Eliane

2016-01-01

Massive population shift is a current global reality--especially given some of the latest development on European shores; some are calling it a humanitarian crisis. Although the United States (US) receives a large number of immigrants (documented and not) and about 70,000 refugees each year, it is certainly not the only nation to do so.…

Joint ownership of spouses and good faith acquisition of immovables by relying in the real estate cadastre

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cvetić Radenka M.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The paper examines the rules on transferring of immovables in the matrimonial ownership regime against the backdrop of general notion of joint ownership and joint ownership (property of spouses. It explores whether the party who invokes the principle of reliance in the real estate cadastre shall be protected in the absence of an explicit rule guaranteeing the protection of a good faith acquirer in case of an unauthoriesd transfer done by one of the spouses. In other words, should for the sake of protection of confidence in legal transactions, acquisition of ownership and other rights in rem exceptionally be allowed by the good faith acquirer, provided that general presumptions under which confidence in accuracy and completeness of public registry of rights on immovables are fulfilled, in case where ownership was not inscribed as a joint ownership. The answer has been given in the absence of general rules on joint ownership, taking into account existing rules in the neighbouring countries, principle of reliance in the real estate cadastre and with due regard to the stance taken by the highest judicial body in the Republic of Serbia. The conclusion is that a spouse who is not inscribed in the public registry should not benefit from the protection against the good faith acquirer.

Can we rely on cancer mortality data? Checking the validity of cervical cancer mortality data for Slovenia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Primic Zakelj, M.; Pompe Kirn, V.; Skrlec, F.; Selb, J.

2001-01-01

Background. Valid inference on cervical cancer mortality is very difficult since - on the basis of death certificates - it is not always possible to distinguish between cervix, corpus and unspecified uterine cancer deaths. Our aim was to estimate the extent to which cervical cancer as the official cause of death reflects the true mortality from cervical cancer in Slovenia. Material and methods. The data on 2245 deaths from cervix, corpus uteri, and uterus-unspecified cancers for the period 1985-1999 were linked to the Cancer Registry of Slovenia database from the mortality database of Slovenia. Results. Officially, in the period 1985-1999, there were 878 cervical cancer deaths. The comparison of these causes of death with the cancer sites registered in the Cancer Registry revealed that they include only 87.7% patients with a previous diagnosis of cervical cancer. Of 650 corpus uteri cancer deaths, 17. 1 % of patients were registered to have cervical cancer, and of 717 unspecified uterine cancer deaths, 31.4% were registered. Taking into account the correctly identified cervical cancer cases among cervical cancer deaths and misclassified cervical cancer deaths as corpus uteri and unspecified uterine, the corrected number of deaths would be 1106. Conclusions. When evaluating the impact of cervical cancer mortality from national mortality rates, the stated underestimation should be taken into account. However, this does not hold for some other cancers. (author)

Can We Rely on Predicted Basal Metabolic Rate in Patients With Intestinal Failure on Home Parenteral Nutrition?

Science.gov (United States)

Skallerup, Anders; Nygaard, Louis; Olesen, Søren Schou; Vinter-Jensen, Lars; Køhler, Marianne; Rasmussen, Henrik Højgaard

2017-09-01

Intestinal failure (IF) is a serious and common complication of short bowel syndrome with patients depending on parenteral nutrition (PN) support. Effective nutrition management requires an accurate estimation of the patient's basal metabolic rate (BMR) to avoid underfeeding or overfeeding. However, indirect calorimetry, considered the gold standard for BMR assessment, is a time- and resource-consuming procedure. Consequently, several equations for prediction of BMR have been developed in different settings, but their accuracy in patients with IF are yet to be investigated. We evaluated the accuracy of predicted BMR in clinically stable patients with IF dependent on home parenteral nutrition (HPN). In total, 103 patients with IF were included. We used indirect calorimetry for assessment of BMR and calculated predicted BMR using different equations based on anthropometric and/or bioelectrical impedance parameters. The accuracy of predicted BMR was evaluated using Bland-Altman analysis with measured BMR as the gold standard. The average measured BMR was 1272 ± 245 kcal/d. The most accurate estimations of BMR were obtained using the Harris-Benedict equation (mean bias, 14 kcal/d [ P = .28]; limits of agreement [LoA], -238 to 266 kcal/d) and the Johnstone equation (mean bias, -16 kcal/d [ P = .24]; LoA, -285 to 253 kcal/d). For both equations, 67% of patients had a predicted BMR from 90%-110% All other equations demonstrated a statistically and clinically significant difference between measured and predicted BMR. The Harris-Benedict and Johnstone equations reliably predict BMR in two-thirds of clinically stable patients with IF on HPN.

Interpersonal rejection results in increased appearance satisfaction for women who rely on body weight for self-worth.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Driscoll, Lauren M; Jarry, Josée L

2015-01-01

This study examined whether body weight contingent self-worth (BWCSW), the tendency to base self-worth on body weight, moderates the effects of interpersonal rejection on self-esteem and body satisfaction. In an online survey, female undergraduates (N=148) completed measures of trait self-esteem, depression, and BWCSW. In a subsequent lab session, participants were assigned to either an interpersonal rejection or to a neutral control condition, after which they completed measures of state self-esteem and body satisfaction. Compared to women with lower BWCSW, women with higher BWCSW reported lower appearance self-esteem (p=.001) and body satisfaction (p=.004) across conditions. However, they reacted to rejection by reporting greater appearance self-esteem (p=.034) and body satisfaction (p=.021). Rejection had no effect on women with lower BWCSW. The reaction of women with higher BWCSW is interpreted as a compensatory self-enhancement response to interpersonal rejection within a self-important domain. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mast cell tryptase stimulates myoblast proliferation; a mechanism relying on protease-activated receptor-2 and cyclooxygenase-2

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Côté Claude H

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Mast cells contribute to tissue repair in fibrous tissues by stimulating proliferation of fibroblasts through the release of tryptase which activates protease-activated receptor-2 (PAR-2. The possibility that a tryptase/PAR-2 signaling pathway exists in skeletal muscle cell has never been investigated. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether tryptase can stimulate myoblast proliferation and determine the downstream cascade. Methods Proliferation of L6 rat skeletal myoblasts stimulated with PAR-2 agonists (tryptase, trypsin and SLIGKV was assessed. The specificity of the tryptase effect was evaluated with a specific inhibitor, APC-366. Western blot analyses were used to evaluate the expression and functionality of PAR-2 receptor and to assess the expression of COX-2. COX-2 activity was evaluated with a commercial activity assay kit and by measurement of PGF2α production. Proliferation assays were also performed in presence of different prostaglandins (PGs. Results Tryptase increased L6 myoblast proliferation by 35% above control group and this effect was completely inhibited by APC-366. We confirmed the expression of PAR-2 receptor in vivo in skeletal muscle cells and in satellite cells and in vitro in L6 cells, where PAR-2 was found to be functional. Trypsin and SLIGKV increased L6 cells proliferation by 76% and 26% above control, respectively. COX-2 activity was increased following stimulation with PAR-2 agonist but its expression remained unchanged. Inhibition of COX-2 activity by NS-398 abolished the stimulation of cell proliferation induced by tryptase and trypsin. Finally, 15-deoxy-Δ-12,14-prostaglandin J2 (15Δ-PGJ2, a product of COX-2-derived prostaglandin D2, stimulated myoblast proliferation, but not PGE2 and PGF2α. Conclusions Taken together, our data show that tryptase can stimulate myoblast proliferation and this effect is part of a signaling cascade dependent on PAR-2 activation and on the downstream activation of COX-2.

Earth Glint Observations Conducted During the Deep Impact Spacecraft Flyby

Science.gov (United States)

Barry, R. K.; Deming, L. D.; Robinson, T.; Hewagama, T.

2010-01-01

We describe observations of Earth conducted using the High Resolution Instrument (HRI) - a 0.3 m f/35 telescope - on the Deep Impact (DI) spacecraft during its recent flybys. Earth was observed on five occasions: 2008-Mar-18 18:18 UT, 2008-May-28 20:05 UT, 2008-Jun-4 16:57 UT, 2009-Mar-27 16:19 and 2009-Oct-4 09:37 UT. Each set of observations was conducted over a full 24-hour rotation of Earth and a total of thirteen NIR spectra were taken on two-hour intervals during each observing period. Photometry in the 450, SSO, 650 and 8S0 nm filters was taken every fifteen minutes and every hour for the 350, 750 and 950 nm filters. The spacecraft was located over the equator for the three sets of observations in 2008, while the 2009- Mar and 2009-Oct were taken over the north and south Polar Regions, respectively. Observations of calibrator stars Canopus and Achernar were conducted on multiple occasions through all filters. The observations detected a strong specular glint not necessarily associated with a body of water. We describe spectroscopic characterization of the glint and evidence for the possibility of detection of reflection from high cirrus clouds. We describe implications for observations of extrasolar planets.

An Observation Capability Semantic-Associated Approach to the Selection of Remote Sensing Satellite Sensors: A Case Study of Flood Observations in the Jinsha River Basin.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Chuli; Li, Jie; Lin, Xin; Chen, Nengcheng; Yang, Chao

2018-05-21

Observation schedules depend upon the accurate understanding of a single sensor’s observation capability and the interrelated observation capability information on multiple sensors. The general ontologies for sensors and observations are abundant. However, few observation capability ontologies for satellite sensors are available, and no study has described the dynamic associations among the observation capabilities of multiple sensors used for integrated observational planning. This limitation results in a failure to realize effective sensor selection. This paper develops a sensor observation capability association (SOCA) ontology model that is resolved around the task-sensor-observation capability (TSOC) ontology pattern. The pattern is developed considering the stimulus-sensor-observation (SSO) ontology design pattern, which focuses on facilitating sensor selection for one observation task. The core aim of the SOCA ontology model is to achieve an observation capability semantic association. A prototype system called SemOCAssociation was developed, and an experiment was conducted for flood observations in the Jinsha River basin in China. The results of this experiment verified that the SOCA ontology based association method can help sensor planners intuitively and accurately make evidence-based sensor selection decisions for a given flood observation task, which facilitates efficient and effective observational planning for flood satellite sensors.

Association between KIR genes and dust mite sensitization in a Brazilian population.

Science.gov (United States)

Caniatti, Marcela Caleffi da Costa Lima; Borelli, Sueli Donizete; Guilherme, Ana Lúcia Falavigna; Franzener, Soraya Barrionuevo; Tsuneto, Luiza Tamie

2018-01-01

Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs), found on the surface of natural killer (NK) cells, play a key role in controlling the innate response. Such response depends on a series of cellular interactions between these receptors and HLA activating/inhibiting ligands. Atopic diseases have been associated with genes that regulate cytokine production and HLA genes, which may either protect or predispose to hypersensitivity. To verify an association study of KIR genes with sensitization to the following mites: Dermatophagoides farinae, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, and Blomia tropicalis. A total of 341 children aged up to 14 years, were classified as mite-sensitive or mite-insensitive after undergoing a skin prick test for immediate allergic reactions. The presence/absence of KIR genes and their human leukocyte antigen (HLA) ligands was determined by polymerase chain reaction-sequence specific oligonucleotide (PCR-SSO) with the commercial kit LabType™ using Luminex™. The frequencies of KIR genes and their respective class I HLA ligands and the frequency of haplotypes were performed in sensitive and insensitive individuals, and no significant differences were found. Our results suggest no influence of KIR genes on resistance/susceptibility to sensitization to dust mites. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An Observation Capability Semantic-Associated Approach to the Selection of Remote Sensing Satellite Sensors: A Case Study of Flood Observations in the Jinsha River Basin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chuli Hu

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Observation schedules depend upon the accurate understanding of a single sensor’s observation capability and the interrelated observation capability information on multiple sensors. The general ontologies for sensors and observations are abundant. However, few observation capability ontologies for satellite sensors are available, and no study has described the dynamic associations among the observation capabilities of multiple sensors used for integrated observational planning. This limitation results in a failure to realize effective sensor selection. This paper develops a sensor observation capability association (SOCA ontology model that is resolved around the task-sensor-observation capability (TSOC ontology pattern. The pattern is developed considering the stimulus-sensor-observation (SSO ontology design pattern, which focuses on facilitating sensor selection for one observation task. The core aim of the SOCA ontology model is to achieve an observation capability semantic association. A prototype system called SemOCAssociation was developed, and an experiment was conducted for flood observations in the Jinsha River basin in China. The results of this experiment verified that the SOCA ontology based association method can help sensor planners intuitively and accurately make evidence-based sensor selection decisions for a given flood observation task, which facilitates efficient and effective observational planning for flood satellite sensors.

DETERMINACIÓN DE PROPIEDADES DINÁMICAS DEL SUELO EN LA POBLACIÓN DE CUMANACOA, REALIZADOS PARA MICROZONIFICACIÓN SÍSMICA, 2006 I DETERMINATION OF DYNAMIC PROPERTIES OF THE SOIL IN THE CUMANACOA LOCALITY, MADE FOR SEISMIC MICROZONATION, 2006

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francisco Antonio Bonive Aguilera

2014-02-01

Full Text Available The city of Cumanacoa is considered an historical patrimony of the northeastern region of Venezuela, which in spite of its relative distance (From where?, can be stricken by an earthquake originated in the fault zone of El Pilar. Using the technique of Nakamura (Horizontal/Vertical it was determined that the locality has fundamental periods between 0.4 and 1 s, with amplifications between 2 and 5.5. The vulnerability index is commonly smaller than 18, which turns it into a relatively safe region for amplifications in important buildings. The critical number of cycles was always larger than 400, which certifies the conditions of all the measures of microtremors. The standardized sedimentary thickness shows a brief cortical structure which is dominated (60% by areas with half the thickness of the deepest sediment; this affects an area close to 40% of the studied surface. The spatial distribution shows the expected correlation between the fundamental period and the thickness, with a well-defined area of increased sedimentary thickness towards the Centre of the town. The amplification displays a different space distribution demonstrating a possible orientation NNE-SSO. The vulnerability index presents its highest values towards the periphery of the town, specially in the South Central area.

A Comparison of Two Methods for Measuring Land Use in Public Health Research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katherine E. King

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Public health researchers have identified numerous health implications associated with land use. However, it is unclear which of multiple methods of data collection most accurately captures land use, and “gold standard” methods vary by discipline. Five desirable features of environmental data sources are presented and discussed (cost, coverage, availability, construct validity, and accuracy. Potential accuracy issues are discussed by using Kappa statistics to evaluate the level of agreement between data sets collected by two methods (systematic social observation [SSO] by trained raters and publicly available data from aerial photography coded using administrative records from the same blocks in Chicago, Illinois. Significant Kappa statistics range from 0.19 to 0.60, indicating varying levels of intersource agreement. Most land uses are more likely to be reported by researcher-designed direct observation than in the publicly available data derived from aerial photography. However, when cost, coverage, and availability outweigh a marginal improvement in accuracy and flexibility in land-use categorization, coded aerial photography data may be a useful data source for health researchers. Greater interdisciplinary and interorganization collaboration in the production of ecological data is recommended to improve cost, coverage, availability, and accuracy, with implications for construct validity.

Effect of ATP sulfurylase overexpression in bright yellow 2 tobacco cells: regulation of ATP sulfurylase and SO4(-2) transport activities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hatzfeld, Y.; Cathala, N.; Grignon, C.; Davidian, J.C.

1998-01-01

To determine if the ATP sulfurylase reaction is a regulatory step for the SO4(2-)-assimilation pathway in plants, an Arabidopsis thaliana ATP sulfurylase cDNA, APS2, was fused to the 355 promoter of the cauliflower mosaic virus and introduced by Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation into isolated Bright Yellow 2 tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) cells. The ATP sulfurylase activity in transgenic cells was 8-fold that in control cells, and was correlated with the expression of a specific polypeptide revealed by western analysis using an anti-ATP sulfurylase antibody. The molecular mass of this polypeptide agreed with that for the overexpressed mature protein. ATP sulfurylase overexpression had no effect on [35S]SO4(2-) influx or ATP sulfurylase activity regulation by S availability, except that ATP sulfurylase activity variations in response to S starvation in transgenic cells were 8 times higher than in the wild type. There were also no differences in cell growth or sensitivity to SeO4(2-) (a toxic SO4(2-) analog) between transgenic and wild-type cells. We propose that in Bright Yellow 2 tobacco cells, the ATP sulfurylase derepression by S deficiency may involve a posttranscriptional mechanism, and that the ATP sulfurylase abundance is not limiting for cell metabolism

ROGER a potential orbital space debris removal system

Science.gov (United States)

Starke, Juergen; Bischof, Bernd; Foth, W.-O.; -J., J.; Günther

The previous activities in the field of On Orbit Servicing studied in the 1990's included in partic-ular the capability of vehicles in GEO to capture and support satellites (mainly communication satellites) to enable repair and continuation of operations, and finally the controlled transfer the target into a permanent graveyard orbit. The specific capture tools for these applications were mostly based on robotic systems to capture and fix the target under specific dynamic constraints (e.g. slowly tumbling target) without damage, and to allow the stabilization, re-orientation and potential repair of the target and subsequent release or transport to the final disposal orbit. Due to the drastically increasing number of debris particularly in the Low Earth Orbits (SSO) the active debris removal is now necessary to counteract to the predicted debris production cascade (Kessler Syndrome), which means the pollution of the total sphere in low earth orbit and not only the SSO area. In most of the debris congresses it was recommended to start removal with the still integrated systems as soon as possible. In the case of large debris objects, the soft capture system can be replaced by a simpler and robust system able to operate from a safe distance to the target and flexible enough to capture and hold different types of targets such as deactivated and/or defective satellites, upper stages and big fragments. These nominally non -cooperative targets might be partially destroyed by the capture process, but the production of additional debris shall be avoided. A major argument for the commercial applications is a multi-target mission potential, which is possible at GEO because the transfer propellant requirement to the disposal orbit and the return to the orbit of the next potential target is relative low (orbits with similar inclination and altitude). The proposed ROGER system is designed as a spacecraft with rendezvous capabilities including inspection in the vicinity of the

Alumínio e a absorção de cálcio por mudas de pimenta do reino Aluminum and calcium absorption by black pepper seedlings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos Alberto Costa Veloso

2000-03-01

Full Text Available Um experimento com solução nutritiva foi conduzido em casa de vegetação com o objetivo de verificar os efeitos da nutrição de cálcio na toxicidade de alumínio em mudas de pimenta do reino. Os tratamentos constituíram-se de três concentrações de cálcio (10; 40 e 160 mg L-1 adicionados como CaCl2 em combinação com três concentrações de alumínio (0; 10 e 20 mg L-1 adicionados como AlCl3.6H2O. A solução nutritiva continha as seguintes concentrações dos íons expressos em mg L-1: N-NO3 (80,5; N-NH4 (10,5; P(1,5; K(39,0; Mg(24,0; S-SO4(32,0; B(0,5; Cu(0,06; Fe(5,0; Mn(1,0; Mo(0,03 e Zn(0,10. Os tratamentos com alumínio retardaram o crescimento das mudas de pimenta do reino, induziram sintomas de toxicidade de alumínio na parte aérea e principalmente aumentaram o diâmetro das raízes. O acúmulo de cálcio aumentou com o incremento da concentração de cálcio na solução na ausência de alumínio, nas raízes o conteúdo de cálcio foi diminuído com o aumento da concentração de alumínio na solução. A absorção de alumínio diminuiu com o aumento da concentração de cálcio na solução.A nutrient solution experiment with was carried out in a greenhouse with the objective of verifying the specific effects of calcium and aluminum toxicity on black pepper seedlings. The treatments were set up in three concentrations of calcium (10; 40 and 160 mg L-1 added as CaCl2 in combination with three concentrations of aluminum (0; 10 and 20 mg L-1 added as AlCl3. 6 H2O. The nutrient solution contained the following ion concentrations in mg L-1: N-NO3 (80,5; N-NH4 (10,5; P(1,5; K(39,0; Mg(24,0; S-SO4(32,0; B(0,5; Cu(0,06; Fe(5,0; Mn(1,0; Mo(0,03 and Zn(0,10. The treatments with aluminum reduced black pepper growth and the diameter of roots increased. Calcium absorption increased with the increase of calcium concentration in the solution, in the absence of aluminum. Calcium absorption by roots decreased with the increase of the

Effect of surface treatment of FRC-Post on bonding strength to resin cements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chan-Hyun Park,

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Objectives The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of surface treatment of FRC-Post on bonding strength to resin cements. Materials and Methods Pre-surface treated LuxaPost (DMG, Rely-X Fiber Post (3M ESPE and self adhesive resin cement Rely-X Unicem (3M ESPE, conventional resin cement Rely-X ARC (3M ESPE, and Rely-X Ceramic Primer (3M ESPE were used. After completing the surface treatments of the posts, posts and resin cement were placed in clear molds and photo-activation was performed. The specimens were sectioned perpendicular to the FRC-Post into 2 mm-thick segments, and push-out strength were measured. The results of bond strength value were statistically analyzed using independent samples t-test and one-way ANOVA with multiple comparisons using Scheffe's test. Results Silanization of posts affect to the bond strength in LuxaPost, and did not affect in Rely-X Fiber Post. Rely-X ARC showed higher value than Rely-X Unicem. Conclusions Silanization is needed to enhance the bond strength between LuxaPost and resin cements.

Organizational Strategic Planning and Execution: Should Governmental Organizations Rely on Strategic Planning for the Success of the Organization?

Science.gov (United States)

2007-06-01

Competition that it faces. 16 The analysis of internal factors will include (IV) the company’s marketing mix ; (V) the internal resources; and (VI) a variety...Government; Economy; Socio-Demography; Technology) III Industry & Competition IV Marketing Mix (Outputs) A B C V Internal Resource

How much will BC rely on incoming LNG and locally produced natural gas to fuel future generation capacity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boychuk, L.A.

2005-01-01

The British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) works with public utilities to determine where resource additions are needed in order to ensure safe, reliable and convenient service to utility customers. All public utilities in the province are required to file resource plans in order to enhance the effectiveness of the BCUC and to protect ratepayers from poor utility expenditure decisions. The BCUC also ensures that utilities have adequate supply to meet demand. This paper outlined energy policy actions plans for the province of British Columbia. The BCUC will regulate BC hydro rates and will review the Vancouver Island Generation Project (VIGP) to determine if it is the most cost-effective means to reliably meet power needs on the island. Electricity distributors will acquire new supply on a least-cost basis, with regulatory oversight by BCUC. The role of the private sector in developing new electricity generation was also discussed, along with alternative energy development opportunities, such as the potential liquefied natural gas (LNG) import project by Galveston at Kitimat and WestPac Terminals' project at Prince Rupert

Self-control depletion in tufted capuchin monkeys (Sapajus spp.): does delay of gratification rely on a limited resource?

Science.gov (United States)

Petrillo, Francesca De; Micucci, Antonia; Gori, Emanuele; Truppa, Valentina; Ariely, Dan; Addessi, Elsa

2015-01-01

Self-control failure has enormous personal and societal consequences. One of the most debated models explaining why self-control breaks down is the Strength Model, according to which self-control depends on a limited resource. Either previous acts of self-control or taking part in highly demanding cognitive tasks have been shown to reduce self-control, possibly due to a reduction in blood glucose levels. However, several studies yielded negative findings, and recent meta-analyses questioned the robustness of the depletion effect in humans. We investigated, for the first time, whether the Strength Model applies to a non-human primate species, the tufted capuchin monkey. We tested five capuchins in a self-control task (the Accumulation task) in which food items were accumulated within individual's reach for as long as the subject refrained from taking them. We evaluated whether capuchins' performance decreases: (i) when tested before receiving their daily meal rather than after consuming it (Energy Depletion Experiment), and (ii) after being tested in two tasks with different levels of cognitive complexity (Cognitive Depletion Experiment). We also tested, in both experiments, how implementing self-control in each trial of the Accumulation task affected this capacity within each session and/or across consecutive sessions. Repeated acts of self-control in each trial of the Accumulation task progressively reduced this capacity within each session, as predicted by the Strength Model. However, neither experiencing a reduction in energy level nor taking part in a highly demanding cognitive task decreased performance in the subsequent Accumulation task. Thus, whereas capuchins seem to be vulnerable to within-session depletion effects, to other extents our findings are in line with the growing body of studies that failed to find a depletion effect in humans. Methodological issues potentially affecting the lack of depletion effects in capuchins are discussed.

Adaptability of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeasts to wine fermentation conditions relies on their strong ability to consume nitrogen

Science.gov (United States)

2018-01-01

Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains are genetically diverse, largely as a result of human efforts to develop strains specifically adapted to various fermentation processes. These adaptive pressures from various ecological niches have generated behavioral differences among these strains, particularly in terms of their nitrogen consumption capacities. In this work, we characterize this phenotype by the specific quantity of nitrogen consumed under oenological fermentation conditions using a new approach. Indeed, unlike previous studies, our experiments were conducted in an environment containing excess nitrogen, eliminating the nitrogen limitation/starvation factor that is generally observed in fermentation processes. Using these conditions, we evaluated differences in the nitrogen consumption capacities for a set of five strains from diverse origins. The strains presented extremely different phenotypes and variations in their capacities to take up nitrogen from a wine fermentation environment. These variations reflect the differences in the nitrogen uptake capacities between wine and non-wine strains. Finally, the strains differed in their ability to adapt to the nitrogen composition of the environment, leading to variations in the cellular stress states, fermentation performances and the activity of the nitrogen sensing signaling pathway. PMID:29432462

Evaluation Techniques of Creating Coherence in Poems of Kaiser Aminpour Relying on the Theory of Halliday’s Linguistics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Reza Sattari

2016-05-01

Full Text Available AbstractOne of the linguistics theories that are utilized in present age in the analysis of literary texts is the theory of Halliday’s linguistics which is called theory of systemic - functional linguistics. Halliday’s theory in the second half of the twentieth century, in contrast to the "generative linguistics" approach, which is based on formal language like a mental and individual phenomenon.    Hallidayan called the semantic, literal, syntax and logical relationship of words as coherence of a text and believes that the coherence of the text, includes all the semantic relations by which, every piece of speech or writing can serve as text. Hence, cohesion, referred to relations that relates all elements of a sentence to the elements of other sentences. From Hallidayan's  point of view, elements of coherence of a text are divided into two parts: grammatical and lexical. Grammatical cohesion includes factors such as referrals, replacements, removals and relevancy, and lexical coherence includes repetition and collocation in literary language.   Kaiser is one of the contemporary famous poets that have composed many poets in different molds of poetry. Kaiser Manipur's poems benefit the integration due to the poet's fluency in Persian and his familiarity with the vocabulary and grammatical and lexical capacities of Persian literature. In this research, we have studied the cohesion in Kaiser Manipur's poems from two views of lexical and grammatical by using Holidaying theory of coherence as well as the techniques that the poet has applied to reach the cohesion in his poems.    The method of research in the present paper is descriptive-analytical and all the information and data has been collected from the sources of library and electronic. In this paper, we first briefly discussed the Holidaying coherence theory, and then, with a special approach to this theory, the most important techniques that Kaiser Manipur has benefited to create the coherence in his poems and poetry, analyzed and investigated.   The Research results indicate that the poems of Kaiser Manipur have a specific integration due to the poet's fluency in Persian and his familiarity with the vocabulary and grammatical and lexical capacities of Persian literature. Hence, techniques of creating coherence in two aspects of grammatical cohesion and lexical cohesion in Kaiser Manipur's poetry are considerable. Grammatical coherence in his poems is achieved through techniques such as references, omission, and relevance. And the techniques of lexica coherence in his poems are: using phonemes, repeating the words, pun, repeated sentence, the balance, the heart of the matter, proportion, contrast, sequence and so on.    Kaiser Aminpour has widely used the techniques of lexical and grammatical coherence in his poems, so that in most of his poems we can see several techniques used together in a way to reach the mentioned coherence. Hence, we can say he is a poet who knows his language as well as words and has the complete power of selection and combination of words and sentences. And his poems are very coherent and the sentences and phrases are intertwined and related to each other in his poetry.Keywords: Kaiser Aminpour, Hallidayan, functional linguistics, grammatical cohesion, lexical cohesion.References 1.      Abdollahi, Manije (2005. Vertical link and semantic cohesion in the ghazals of Hafez. Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Shiraz, (Vol. 22. No 3(44. P.p: 124- 134. [In Persian].2.      Afrashi, Azita (1999. A look to the issue of collocation of words. Language and Literature, No 7 & 8. p.p: 73- 83. [In Persian].3.      Aghahosseini, H. & Gholami, Mojahed. (2010. Indian poetry style aesthetic effects on the resistance poetry of Kaiser Aminpour's poetry. Journal of resistance literature at Kerman Shahid Bahonar University. Year, 1. No, 2. P.p: 1- 29. [In Persian]. 4.      Ahmadzadeh, Mostafa. (2008. Linguistic interpretation of Surah Al-Asr. Islamic Studies: Quran and Hadith Sciences. Year 40. No, 3/18. P.p: 11-35. [In Persian].5.       Alavi-moghaddam, M. (1998. Contemporary literary criticism theories (formalism and structuralism. Tehran: Samt. [In Persian].6.      Aminpour, Kaisar (2011. Complete collection of kaisar Aminpour's poems. 8th ed., Tehran: Morvarid. [In Persian].Abdollahi, M. (2005.  7.      Behjo, Zohre (1998. Encoding scheme of methods of coherence in Persian language. Farhang, No 25 & 26. P.p: 189- 212. [In Persian].8.      Fotohi, M. (2008. Three voices, three colors, three styles of Aminpour’s poem. Literature Studies, University of Guilan. No 5. P.p: 9-30. [In Persian].9.      Ghobadi, H. & Rezaei-Jamkarani, A. (2011. Review, analysis and criticism of four Persian odes based on the teachings of systemic-functional linguistics. Journal of Persian Language and Literature. No 20. P.p: 69- 93. [In Persian].10.  Gholamhosseinzade, GH. & Norouzi, H. (2010.  Role of Phonetic repeating in lexical Cohesion in prosodic Persian poetry. Journal of Literature and Language University of Kerman. No, 27. P.p: 251- 281. [In Persian].11.  Halliday, M. A. K & Hasan, R. (1976 Cohesion in English. London: Longman, [In English].12.  Halliday, M. A. K. (1985. An Introduction to Functional Grammar. London: Edward Arnold. [In English].13.  Jahangiri, N. & Zakipour, Sh. (2005. Lexical cohesion in Persian short stories for children. Literary Notes (Journal of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. No 151. P.p: 1-20. [In Persian].14.  Khanjan, A. & Mirza, Z. (2006. Introduction to the functional poetry (linguistic approaches. Journal of Persian Language and Literature. No 7. P.p: 83- 101. [In Persian].15.  Lotfipour-saedi, K. (1992. An introduction to the principles and methods of translation. Tehran: Academic publishing. [In Persian].16.  Martine, A. (2001. Phonetic transformation balance. (H. Milanian Trans. Terhan: Hermes. [In Persian].17.  Moein od-Dini, F. (2003.  Techniques to create coherence in kalila and demna. Farhang, No 47 & 47. P.p: 303- 326. [In Persian].18.  Mohajer, M. & Nabavi, M. (1997. Towards the linguistic poetry: the functional approach. Tehran: Markaz. [In Persian].19.  Natel Khanlari, P. (2007. Persian poetry weight. 7th ed., Tehran: toos. [In Persian].20.  Panahi, S. (2002. The process of collocation and collocation compounds in Persian language. Journal of Academy. No19. P.p: 199- 211. [In Persian].21.  Rastgoo, M. (2004. Speak art layout (art of badie. Tehran: Samt. [In Persian].22.  Rouhani, M. (2011.  Study of Repeats' Functions in Contemporary Poetry (based on poetry of Sepehri, Shamloo and Forough. Journal of Boostan Adab (university of Shiraz. Year 3. No 2/8. P.p: 145- 168. [In Persian].23.  Safavi, K. (2008. Introduction to Semantics. 3rd ed., Tehran: Sore-ye Mehr. [In Persian]. 24.  Safavi, K. (1994. From linguistics to literature. (Vol: 1. Tehran: Cheshme. [In Persian].25.  Salehi, F. (2007.  Semantics and functional grammar of Halliday. Literature Book of the Month. No 8. P.p: 32-41. [In Persian].26.  Sarli, N. & Ishani, T. (2011.  Coherence and Coordination of cohesion Theory and its Application in a Minimal Story Persian (The Story of the Ladder. Journal of Language Scholarships (university of az-Zahra. Year 2. No 4. P.p: 51- 77. [In Persian].27.  Shabanloo, A. & Maleksabet, M. & Jalali, Y. (2008.  Grammatical cohesion process in the long poem of am'aq Bukhari. Journal of Gawhar-i Guya. No 5. P.p: 165- 188. [In Persian].28.  Shafi’ee kadkani, M. (2005. Music of Lyrics. (8th ed., Tehran: Agah. [In Persian].29.  Shamisa, S. (2007. Figures of speech: a new look to Ba'die. 2nd ed., Tehran: Mitra. [In Persian].30.  Vafaei, A. & Alinoori, Z. (2010. Artistic symmetry in two axes of succession and Companion in poems of Kaiser Aminpour. Journal of Persian Language and Literature. Year 2. No 6. P: 99- 118. [In Persian].31.  Velek, R. & Varen, A. (2003. Theory of Literatur. (Z. Movahhed & P. Mohajer Trans. Tehran: Elmi- Farhangi. [In Persian].Yahaghi, M. & Fallahi, M. (2010.  Saadi's and Bidel Dehlavi's sonnets text cohesion, evaluation and comparison of ten sonnets of Sa'di, and ten sonnets of Bidel. Journal of Literature and Language University of Kerman. No 27. P: 327- 346. [In Persian].

Self-control depletion in tufted capuchin monkeys (Sapajus spp.): does delay of gratification rely on a limited resource?

Science.gov (United States)

Petrillo, Francesca De; Gori, Emanuele; Truppa, Valentina; Ariely, Dan; Addessi, Elsa

2015-01-01

Self-control failure has enormous personal and societal consequences. One of the most debated models explaining why self-control breaks down is the Strength Model, according to which self-control depends on a limited resource. Either previous acts of self-control or taking part in highly demanding cognitive tasks have been shown to reduce self-control, possibly due to a reduction in blood glucose levels. However, several studies yielded negative findings, and recent meta-analyses questioned the robustness of the depletion effect in humans. We investigated, for the first time, whether the Strength Model applies to a non-human primate species, the tufted capuchin monkey. We tested five capuchins in a self-control task (the Accumulation task) in which food items were accumulated within individual’s reach for as long as the subject refrained from taking them. We evaluated whether capuchins’ performance decreases: (i) when tested before receiving their daily meal rather than after consuming it (Energy Depletion Experiment), and (ii) after being tested in two tasks with different levels of cognitive complexity (Cognitive Depletion Experiment). We also tested, in both experiments, how implementing self-control in each trial of the Accumulation task affected this capacity within each session and/or across consecutive sessions. Repeated acts of self-control in each trial of the Accumulation task progressively reduced this capacity within each session, as predicted by the Strength Model. However, neither experiencing a reduction in energy level nor taking part in a highly demanding cognitive task decreased performance in the subsequent Accumulation task. Thus, whereas capuchins seem to be vulnerable to within-session depletion effects, to other extents our findings are in line with the growing body of studies that failed to find a depletion effect in humans. Methodological issues potentially affecting the lack of depletion effects in capuchins are discussed. PMID:26322001

Nocturnal Foraging by Red-Legged Kittiwakes, a Surface Feeding Seabird That Relies on Deep Water Prey During Reproduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Kokubun, Nobuo; Yamamoto, Takashi; Kikuchi, Dale M; Kitaysky, Alexander; Takahashi, Akinori

2015-01-01

Narrow foraging specialization may increase the vulnerability of marine predators to climate change. The red-legged kittiwake (Rissa brevirostris) is endemic to the Bering Sea and has experienced drastic population fluctuations in recent decades, presumably due to climate-driven changes in food resources. Red-legged kittiwakes are presumed to be a nocturnal surface-foraging seabird that feed almost entirely on deep water Myctophidae fishes. However, there is little empirical evidence confirming their nocturnal foraging activity during the breeding season. This study investigated the foraging behavior of red-legged kittiwakes by combining GPS tracking, accelerometry, and dietary analyses at the world's largest breeding colony of red-legged kittiwakes on St. George I. GPS tracking of 5 individuals revealed that 82.5% of non-flight behavior (including foraging and resting) occurred over the ocean basin (bottom depth >1,000 m). Acceleration data from 4 birds showed three types of behaviors during foraging trips: (1) flight, characterized by regular wing flapping, (2) resting on water, characterized by non-active behavior, and (3) foraging, when wing flapping was irregular. The proportions of both foraging and resting behaviors were higher at night (14.1 ± 7.1% and 20.8 ± 14.3%) compared to those during the day (6.5 ± 3.0% and 1.7 ± 2.7%). The mean duration of foraging (2.4 ± 2.9 min) was shorter than that of flight between prey patches (24.2 ± 53.1 min). Dietary analyses confirmed myctophids as the dominant prey (100% by occurrence and 98.4 ± 2.4% by wet-weight). Although the sample size was limited, these results suggest that breeding red-legged kittiwakes concentrated their foraging on myctophids available at the surface during nighttime in deep water regions. We propose that the diel patterns and ephemeral nature of their foraging activity reflected the availability of myctophids. Such foraging specialization may exacerbate the vulnerability of red-legged kittiwakes to climate change in the Bering Sea.

Nocturnal Foraging by Red-Legged Kittiwakes, a Surface Feeding Seabird That Relies on Deep Water Prey During Reproduction.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nobuo Kokubun

Full Text Available Narrow foraging specialization may increase the vulnerability of marine predators to climate change. The red-legged kittiwake (Rissa brevirostris is endemic to the Bering Sea and has experienced drastic population fluctuations in recent decades, presumably due to climate-driven changes in food resources. Red-legged kittiwakes are presumed to be a nocturnal surface-foraging seabird that feed almost entirely on deep water Myctophidae fishes. However, there is little empirical evidence confirming their nocturnal foraging activity during the breeding season. This study investigated the foraging behavior of red-legged kittiwakes by combining GPS tracking, accelerometry, and dietary analyses at the world's largest breeding colony of red-legged kittiwakes on St. George I. GPS tracking of 5 individuals revealed that 82.5% of non-flight behavior (including foraging and resting occurred over the ocean basin (bottom depth >1,000 m. Acceleration data from 4 birds showed three types of behaviors during foraging trips: (1 flight, characterized by regular wing flapping, (2 resting on water, characterized by non-active behavior, and (3 foraging, when wing flapping was irregular. The proportions of both foraging and resting behaviors were higher at night (14.1 ± 7.1% and 20.8 ± 14.3% compared to those during the day (6.5 ± 3.0% and 1.7 ± 2.7%. The mean duration of foraging (2.4 ± 2.9 min was shorter than that of flight between prey patches (24.2 ± 53.1 min. Dietary analyses confirmed myctophids as the dominant prey (100% by occurrence and 98.4 ± 2.4% by wet-weight. Although the sample size was limited, these results suggest that breeding red-legged kittiwakes concentrated their foraging on myctophids available at the surface during nighttime in deep water regions. We propose that the diel patterns and ephemeral nature of their foraging activity reflected the availability of myctophids. Such foraging specialization may exacerbate the vulnerability of red-legged kittiwakes to climate change in the Bering Sea.

Relying on Visiting Foreign Doctors for Fistula Repair: The Profile of Women Attending Fistula Repair Surgery in Somalia.

Science.gov (United States)

Gele, Abdi A; Salad, Abdulwahab M; Jimale, Liban H; Kour, Prabhjot; Austveg, Berit; Kumar, Bernadette

2017-01-01

Obstetric fistula is treatable by surgery, although access is usually limited, particularly in the context of conflict. This study examines the profile of women attending fistula repair surgery in three hospitals in Somalia. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Somalia from August to September 2016. Structured questionnaires were administered to 81 women who registered for fistula repair surgery in the Garowe, Daynile, and Kismayo General Hospitals in Somalia. Findings revealed that 70.4% of the study participants reported obstetric labor as the cause of their fistula, and 29.6% reported iatrogenic causes. Regarding the waiting time for the repair surgery, 45% waited for the surgery for over one year, while the rest received the surgery within a year. The study suggests that training for fistula surgery has to be provided for healthcare professionals in Somalia, fistula centers should be established, and access to these facilities has to be guaranteed for all patients who need these services.

Do Adults with Cochlear Implants Rely on Different Acoustic Cues for Phoneme Perception than Adults with Normal Hearing?

Science.gov (United States)

Moberly, Aaron C.; Lowenstein, Joanna H.; Tarr, Eric; Caldwell-Tarr, Amanda; Welling, D. Bradley; Shahin, Antoine J.; Nittrouer, Susan

2014-01-01

Purpose: Several acoustic cues specify any single phonemic contrast. Nonetheless, adult, native speakers of a language share weighting strategies, showing preferential attention to some properties over others. Cochlear implant (CI) signal processing disrupts the salience of some cues: In general, amplitude structure remains readily available, but…

Marquardt's Phi mask: pitfalls of relying on fashion models and the golden ratio to describe a beautiful face.

Science.gov (United States)

Holland, E

2008-03-01

Stephen Marquardt has derived a mask from the golden ratio that he claims represents the "ideal" facial archetype. Many have found his mask convincing, including cosmetic surgeons. However, Marquardt's mask is associated with numerous problems. The method used to examine goodness of fit with the proportions in the mask is faulty. The mask is ill-suited for non-European populations, especially sub-Saharan Africans and East Asians. The mask also appears to approximate the face shape of masculinized European women. Given that the general public strongly and overwhelmingly prefers above average facial femininity in women, white women seeking aesthetic facial surgery would be ill-advised to aim toward a better fit with Marquardt's mask. This article aims to show the proper way of assessing goodness of fit with Marquardt's mask, to address the shape of the mask as it pertains to masculinity-femininity, and to discuss the broader issue of an objective assessment of facial attractiveness. Generalized Procrustes analysis is used to show how goodness of fit with Marquardt's mask can be assessed. Thin-plate spline analysis is used to illustrate visually how sample faces, including northwestern European averages, differ from Marquardt's mask. Marquardt's mask best describes the facial proportions of masculinized white women as seen in fashion models. Marquardt's mask does not appear to describe "ideal" face shape even for white women because its proportions are inconsistent with the optimal preferences of most people, especially with regard to femininity.